Suddenly
by Mrs. NiG
Summary: Julian's personal background gets the ball rolling... And they have to deal with it.
1. Prologue

**A/N**

This is my first story here.

First of all I´m german. So please excuse my English, mistakes will be corrected as soon as realized (I use a german betareader). If any native (US) speaker wants to take that job, feel free to contact me. Unfortunately, I´m really afraid of native speakers reading my story ;-) And I´d appreciate you marking my worst mistakes, so that I´m able to improve my English.

Title: Suddenly...

Author: Mrs. NiG

Rating: M

Category: Post 1.15, Romance, Drama, whatever...

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the storyline. All characters belong to CW.

**I know that most of the Hellcats´ fans admire Savannah/Ashley Tisdale, but I´m watching the series solely because of Julian Parish/Gale Harold. **_**This will be NO slash story at all**_**.**

Please join this petition for 2012 in case you´re interested ;-)

.com/1/queer-as-folk-convention-in-cologne/

**Suddenly...**

**~ Prologue ~**

After they have been discussed their new challenge, the students were about to leave class. Professor Parish wanted Marti to stay and summoned her to come back to his desk. She wondered, but got back and looked interested at her teacher. Sometimes she thought about his hidden allusions in between their conversations but then suddenly shrugged it off as weird illusion.

"You and _Harry Potter_ are the best students I´ve ever had." He assessed with a smile on his face. "I want the two of you to help in some special case. It´s about a woman who attacked her husband with a knife after having been raped."

Marti nodded. "Did she kill him?"

"Not at all. He didn´t even get hurt. His lawyer pleaded guilty for mental cruelty and she got a six month imprisonment. Just because he let himself institutionalize." Professor Parish explained. "We have to prove that he was simulating. By the way, where is _Potter_?"

"I don´t know. So what would you like us to do?"

Julian smiled again. "You´ll take a look at the whole case, searching for something abnormal. Anything you´ll find will be good to think it over. Got it?"

Marti nodded again and he gave her the documents. "May I ask you a personal question?" She wanted to know.

"Let´s see whether I´m going to answer." He grinned.

"Do you relax at any time?"

That wasn´t the kind of question he had expected. "Well, I won´t suffer from burn out, don´t worry."

"I´m just wondering. You look exhausted." Marti murmured.

"Maybe it´s because of some Jet lag. I´ve been to Washington lately. Satisfied?"

She was totally embarrassed. "Sorry. I didn´t want to get too personal. It´s just that I saw you having breakfast at Starbucks this morning. Alone."

"So, who do you think should have breakfast with me?" He smirked.

Marti was at a loss of words. "I don´t know, your family?" In her opinion, this conversation turned out to become a really difficult one.

"I don´t have a family. Is that what you wanted to know?"

"Not at all. I thought you ... Doesn´t matter, I better go now." She blushed and turned around.

"Hold it!" He stopped her. She didn´t turn around again. So he went on speaking. "Miss Perkins, you can´t come up with those things and then you leave!"

Marti slowly came back to his desk. "So you don´t have a family. What about friends?" She dared to ask.

"Why do you care?"

"I don´t care. I just thought you needed a break."

"I´m a grown up. I know when I´m in need of a break."

"I´m a grown up, too. Maybe you should go and have some kids to see the difference."

He really hold his breath because of her answering back. If she only knew, he thought and reflected the best fitting answer. "I´m able to catch the difference very well. And just to make it clear: I _do_ have a daughter." He turned around and left Marti agape.

She stared at his back and considered her answer. "You said you don´t have a family."

Julian sighed irritated. "You´re right." He admitted. "I´ve misspoken. I _had_ a daughter."

Marti couldn´t believe that he told her some kind of childish excuse and got really angry about the fact that he assumed an air of importance, made himself consider mysterious. "I have to leave. Got to join the Hellcats' workout."

"Tomorrow will be her birthday." He stopped her again.

"Then you´ll have someone to have breakfast with, right?" She replied and went on towards the door.

Julian sighed again and turned around. "No, I won´t. She died five years ago."

Suddenly Marti turned around once more and watched him eyes wide open. There would never be an answer to such an opening. Finally she found out why he looked kind of sick the last days.

Julian stared at her in silence, waiting for release.

"I don´t know what to say..." She whispered.

He didn´t know why he told her his little secret but in some weird way, he was in need of an alleviative talk. His daughter´s birthday always made him feel guilty and therefore, in this period of time, he hasn´t treated his students well for years.

"Her name was Ally – Allison. She fell into the pool while I had to look after her. My wife had been at her mother´s house to care for her because of the flu. I sat on the porch and Ally played in the garden. Far apart from the pool. Then my phone rang and I went inside. I had to talk to my client. Just one single minute and your life can be ruined." Julian had to swallow his tears in memory of that horrible day.

Marti dumped down on a chair near her and had tears in her eyes. The professor tried to get back his demeanor and ran his fingers through his hair. He was completely overwhelmed by his own confession. No one had ever heard of his personal tragedy before. And he didn´t really know why he told Marti. Maybe because of her having asked?

"Listen... You don´t have to say anything. I didn´t want to snub you. And I beg you to keep that a secret."

"Tomorrow´s her birthday? What age would she be?"

"Seven. She was only two when it happend."

Marti remembered him having no family and speaking of his wife though. "What about your wife, her mother? How did she take it?"

"She blamed me. Divorce was final about three years ago."

"You blame yourself the most, right?"

He tried to smile. "Who wouldn´t?"

Marti nodded. "Who wouldn´t..." She repeated murmuring.

Julian packed up his stuff and sighed. Then suddenly his lips formed the words faster than his brain could erase their meaning. "Listen... You could do me a favor. I´m going to visit Ally tomorrow at the cemetery. It would be nice to have someone with me who knows about her and... the accident. So, would you mind...?"

The young woman didn´t expect him to ask for company to visit the grave of his little kid and turned pale all over. "Erm... Why not?" She said doubtful.

Julian wanted to escape the situation as soon as possible and added a time. "7 p.m. in front of the cemetery. I´ll be there."

"Okay... Gotta go now. The papers, you know?"

Julian nodded smiling and Marti left the class with an aching heart inside. That had been the weirdest experience ever for both of them. While Marti was on her way to her mum, Julian was sitting on his chair behind the desk and thinking about what he´d just done to her. Way too much responsibility for a young girl at her age. Disappointed about himself, he left Lancer University and went home to prepare mentally for the visit on his daughter´s grave the next day.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Marti sat in front of her Mum and searched for the right words to ask for her advice. She couldn´t tell her the truth, of course. So she invented a friend who had lost her sister in an accident and likes to take her with her on the cemetery.

"It´s her sister´s birthday, Mum, do you have any idea whether I should show up with a present or flowers or something else?"

"Let me guess... How old would the kid have been now?"

"Around seven."

"Well, you can´t bring her some kind of toy, that would be ridiculous. Flowers are for grannies. I believe you should do something to please your friend, don´t you think so?"

"Sounds good..." Marti was just imagining Julians face full of deep sadness and felt her heart beating faster again.

"What about some candles? Around seven. You can stick them in the earth and enkindle them to honor her birthday. Wouldn´t that be a good idea?"

Marti nearly melted away. "Mum, you´re brilliant! You know I love you, don´t you?" She kissed her on the cheek, slipped of the bar stool and ran away to buy some candles.


	2. Call of the past

Hello there all over the world!

It´s really frightening to see all the countries which visited the first chapter of this story...

I´m used to reach only the german speaking world and as we all know, it´s not that big * lol *

First of all I have to thank all the recent reviewers for their nice comments on my first attempts in English language ^^ Sounds as if I got so many... * grin *

Today we´ll be on the cemetery, so please keep quiet and try not to weep.

I´ll not be held responsible for any heart attack, shaking hands or billions of tears. Maybe you should read with some cleenex or tranquilizer aside...?

o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 1 ~**

_Call of the past_

Julian got through the day without having any idea what he had done. Every year on Ally´s birthday he wasn´t himself and tried just to do his job. This time he decided to bring her a single rose and ordered it in the shop near the cemetery after he had had lunch at the university. He was glad that he didn´t have to meet Marti once more before their appointment in the evening. The longer he thought about it, the more nervous he got. Asking himself what the hell came over him to beg her for that special favor. He must have been totally crazy.

Worrying about what might happen, he waited in front of the entrance of the cemetery and tried to concentrate reflecting on his latest lawsuit. It didn´t work at all. He could only think of his female student he was waiting for. What she might think of him. If she would tell anybody about their private appointment. When he looked at the red rose in his hand, he suddenly panicked, had to hold back himself not to freak out right where he stood. God bless her, she came around the corner riding her bike just in time.

„Am I late?" She asked quietly and got off the bike.

„Not at all." He tumbled for words. „Does anybody know what we´re doing here?"

Marti stared at him in the lack of understanding while parking her bike aside. „What exactly do you mean?"

„Have you told anybody about it?"

„No, I haven´t. It´s a private thing. I would never tell anybody about it. You´re safe, so relax."

Julian lowered his gaze. He felt ashamed of his awful thoughts. „Ready?" He murmured.

„Are _you_?"

„I´ve never been more prepared. Come on!" He went in and she followed him with her backpack hanging over the shoulder.

They had to cross half the cemetery to get to Ally´s grave. Marti stayed right beside him, they didn´t talk at all. When he finally stopped in front of the loveliest grave Marti has ever seen, she almost couldn´t breathe. First of all, she recognized the photography of his little girl on the gravestone and swallowed her immediately upcoming tears. Julian stood there in agony, stared at the flowers and plants on the earth, desperately clinging onto his red rose until his fingers began to bleed. Watching him suffering from mourning and guilt, she had no idea how to help.

Carefully she grabbed for the candles in her backpack and took them out. He must have heard her rustling because he suddenly turned his head around and looked at her. What he saw there, nearly seemed to take his breath away. Marti looked back at him questioningly.

„I thought you might like to enkindle some birthday candles?" She asked quietly and showed him her presents.

Julian immediately got back to reality and nodded with a smile on his face. „You´re very thoughtful. That makes me believe that it was the right decision to take you here with me."

She took out her pocket lighter and began to light the first candle. Julian took it out of her hands and put it on the grave between the flowers and his single rose. Each and everyone got its perfect place and when they put the last one in the earth, he stood up and smiled.

„Wonderful, isn´t it?" He said and sighed, glancing at Marti.

She had to hold herself back in emotion again. „Yeah. She deserves it."

„Would you please leave me alone with her for one moment?" He asked, shaking all over.

Marti gave him her okay and went away. There was a bench behind an old tree and she sat on it, sighing sadly. That little beloved girl had no chance to grow up in love and to get to know her absolutely amazing dad.

Julian stood in front of the grave and for the first time, he tried to talk to his little daughter. „I hope you feel fine wherever you are, Ally Darling... I miss you so much... Your Mum doesn´t live here, anymore, but she loves you anyway. Will you be a good girl and tell her that I was here for your birthday, if she comes along to see you someday? I know you´ll do that for me... Today I brought someone, Ally... She´s my student and I really do appreciate her. Maybe you want to welcome her? Wait a second, I´m going to come for her..." He searched for Marti and saw her sitting on that bench about 40 feet away. He waved his hand and she understood. When she was back again beside him, he hugged her friendly and smiled. „I wanted to present you to my little angel girl. Is that okay for you?"

„Sure, it is." Marti smiled back at him. He looked way better now, still holding her in his arm. She suddenly felt warm and save.

„So... Ally Darling? May I present Miss Marti Perkins to you? She had the idea of bringing you candles for your great day and I hope you like it. It´s the first time I brought someone to your grave, but I know you would have been happy about it. Wanna say hello to her?"

Marti suddenly got nervous herself. To talk to the child in front of its father was not the way she had planned her visit here at the grave. But Julian seemed to wait for her speech and so she had to react in some way.

„Hi Ally, I´m Marti..." She murmured and cleared her throat. „You´re such a sweet little girl and I wish I would have known you before. I don´t believe in God but I believe in destiny and I think you´re the one I would have liked to meet some day in my life." Marti stumbled.

Julian suddenly took off his arm from her shoulder, seemed really weird, turned around, just saying sorry, nearly losing his voice, and walked away with shaking legs. He trembled all over because of her wonderful words to his little angel. Tears in his eyes, he left slowly and tried to gain control over his feelings again. He has never been so sentimental before but she made himself realize that he had been really lonely and in deep need of some shoulder to cry on. That was the godawful truth.

Marti watched him leaving and had to swallow her tears, too. This experience turned out to be the worst she ever had to go through during the last few years. After having said goodbye to Ally, she followed Julian on his way out of the cemetery. It took a little while to catch up with him again and she really felt to be out of place. Without saying a word, she finally took his hand when reaching him and he let her. They slowly went side by side towards the way out, but suddenly she felt something wet and warm between their fingers. What the hell...? Julian turned around when she immediately stopped walking, holding her breath in fear. Marti stared at his hand and saw the blood run through his fingers.

„You´re bleeding!" She murmured. „Wait... As a real Hellcat I´ve always got some dressing material with me." Searching nervously in her backpack, she tried to calm down a little. „Here it is! Show me your hand, please!" Dressing his wounds professionally, she shook her head in the lack of understanding. „Why didn´t you say anything? These are really deep lesions... Thorns can be dangerous, you know? You might get an infection because of the earth on the grave you grabbed your hand in to put the candles on their place... Are you vaccinated against tetanus?"

Julian watched her acting the nurse and didn´t know what to answer. „Yes, think I am. I didn´t realize that I got hurt..."

„I thought so..." She fondled him, stroking tenderly over the dressing and then looked right into his eyes which seemed to be clear and dry again. „Let´s go..."

They walked out of the cemetery and when Marti wanted to say goodbye to him, she suddenly noticed that her bike was gone. Excited like hell, she ran to the place where it should have been and there was nothing left. Her head turned around in anger towards him and she nearly screamd out loud.

„Fuck! It has been stolen! My fucking bike has gone! I really need it to range between the places! God damned shit!"

Julian hardly couldn´t believe that someone stole her bike during the time they were at Ally´s grave but it had actually happened. And she even looked good cursing. „I´ll take you home, no problem." He said quietly. „It´s late, would you like to have dinner with me? I still have to thank you for what you´ve done for me before."

Marti couldn´t think of anything else but her stolen bike. „I have to press charges against unknown first. God, I need that bike! That really pisses me off!" She had to fight back her tears right now. „I don´t have enough money to buy a new one, dammit!"

„Come over here, Marti, please... We´ll go and fix that for you, okay? Right now. And then I´ll take you out for dinner. We have to relax a little, don´t you think so? Come on! Everything´s gonna be alright. Okay?" His voice was tender and quiet, showing no vulnerability anymore. He looked like a man of great trust again and she just wanted to believe him.

„I´m sorry... I didn´t want to lose my temper... It´s just that I can´t afford more than I just have to. I don´t need a scholarship for nothing, you know?"

„Never mind."

Like a gentleman he opened the door of his BMW for her and she got inside. Her face grimacing in anger and disbelief. Without her bike, she would be forced to reorganize the dates of the whole week. Classes and workouts would never match together. Meanwhile, he was going to get behind the stearing wheel and Marti looked questioningly at his dressed hand.

„Are you able to drive?" She asked caring.

„Sure, I am."

The next police station wasn´t far away and Julian helped her to do whatever had to be done. After the officer´s declaration that there was hardly a chance to get the bike back, Marti was really depressed and Julian felt to prop her up again.

„You aren´t vegetarian, are you?" He asked her smirking, totally convinced that she would have eaten the thief of her bike alive if there had been any chance to catch him.

„No, I´m not."

„Okay. `Cause I need some meat for my stomach rumbles right now." He smiled at her and Marti smiled right back. She truly loved his sense of humor when being in trouble.

Finally they stopped at a famous steakhouse in his neighborhood and Marti got out of the car, taking a nervous look at him. Julian took her arm in a way she had never dreamed of and they went inside. The waiter showed them a table in a silent corner and they sat down, staring at each other in uncertainty what´s going to happen from now on. Julian finally tried to start the conversation again.

„I have to apologize for running away when you were talking to Ally..." He murmured. „That was childish and very off-hand. I´m really sorry for that."

Marti was still thinking of her bike, but with his confession he got her thoughts right back at their conversation again. „Doesn´t matter. You´ve been pretty sad and it was okay for me. Does your hand still hurt?"

„No, it doesn´t. You´re a perfect nurse. And a true friend, even we still don´t know each other very well."

The waiter came with their steaks and so they had to try the meal instead of talking. Marti tried to avoid staring at him from time to time, but she didn´t really succeed. He was so handsome and nice that she couldn´t stop watching him eat. Julian himself got more and more nervous when realizing that she was kind of observing him. Once again he told himself not to be a selfish old prick and instead of trying to please her, just to keep staying a honest and reasonable man. With every bite taken, he got deeper and deeper in those forbidden feelings for his admittedly lovely young student. He blamed himself the most for the fact that she was young. Too young for him to consider anything else than friendship or a romantic relationship between teacher and student. But his heart was going to tell him something quite different. The more he saw her watching him, the more it began beating hard inside his breast.

„I´m really worried about having lost my bike..." Marti said without looking at his face. She trembled all over, just watching his fingers holding the knife and whenever she took a look at his lips, being tenderly touched by the fork, she felt like a billion butterflies suddenly rise on the inside. Thinking of how it would feel like to be touched all over by his slender fingers, these wonderful lips... No more reasonable thoughts were possible.

Julian had to answer. He searched for the right words to say but it wasn´t as easy as he considered.

„What about me getting you a new one to thank you?" His sparkling eyes were dark and he looked deep into her own ones.

„I can´t accept that. It´s way too expensive." Marti couldn´t help lowering her eyelids. He had been watching her too intense. Way too intense.

„But it´s my fault that your bike had been stolen. You would never have been there at the cemetery without me. So it´s only fair to buy you a new one. Please..." He whispered. „Don´t embarrass me."

Marti felt defenseless. She had no choice at all. „It wouldn´t be okay. But... Maybe I could work for you to pay for it?"

Julian laughed immediately. „So what are you doing by now? Your homework?"

„Sort of..." She whispered and then had to laugh, too. „You´re not fair! I just wanted to find a way to make it work for you and me..."

„Why do you have to be so touchy?" He commented with some certain glance in his eyes. „Listen! I like you. You´re in need of a new bike and I´ve got enough money to do you that favor. So just take it and be happy, okay?"

Marti nodded. „You won. This time. I´m going to be a better lawyer than you´ve ever been and then I´ll pay you back, okay?"

„No way."

„Sure, there is!"

„No, there isn´t. You´ll never become a better lawyer than me, forget it!" He was just kidding but Marti didn´t realize it.

„All the more reason to try."

„How´s your steak?" He deviated ably.

„Fine. Well done – like me when I`ve beaten you in trial for the first time." Boy, she was really angry about his opinion on her!

Julian has never laughed louder and more from deep down of his heart. „You´ll make it, don´t you know? And... you´re scaring me to death!"

„Really?" Marti replied smugly.

„Oh yes, you do!" He couldn´t help laughing again, finally whispering to himself: „If you only knew..."

„What was that?"

„What?"

„What did you whisper to yourself?"

„Nothing important."

„Sure, it was!"

„No, it wasn´t."

„Why do you have to be so touchy?" Marti tried to battle him with his own words.

„Okay, I got it! You already ARE better than I am right now."

„You got it, too..." Marti smiled. „Now, tell me what are you doing to relax? I mean usually."

Julian really was surprised about her sudden change of topic. He took a drink of his water and gazed at her in speechlessness for a moment. „Reading, listening to music, playing the guitar... And you?" He answered slowly.

„Making music and goofing off."

„NO shopping?" He asked smiling with some special amusement.

Marti had just finished eating and leaned back on her chair, smirking. „I´m a cheerleader, you know? I don´t need any clothes but the Hellcats´ dress that I´m wearing the whole day through." She. Won. Again.

Julian sat there with his mouth wide open and no words coming out. He felt ashamed in some way. So he decided to apologize a second time. „Marti, I have to tell you that I changed my mind about you and what you´re standing for long ago. You are serious, I know that. So don´t try to let me look like a total ignorant, okay? I trust you and I have a certain respect for your work."

She felt really bad for having made that awful joke. Once more she looked at his face and noticed his eyes watching her with deep interest. „Okay..."

The waiter came and Julian demanded the bill. He´d been so nervous since Marti hadn´t got anything more to say. She remained silent and he didn´t know what to do to make her feel comfortable again. Her hands moonily played with the glass and she looked at all the other guests, only not at him. When he wanted to pay the bill, Julian had difficulties to take out the money from his wallet. His dressed hand was not really helpful so Marti had to do that for him, her legs shaking under the table and her fingers trembling when taking out the bank notes.

„Let´s go." He murmured. „I still have to do some work at home. The new case, you know?"

Marti nodded and so they left the steakhouse with a sudden strange feeling for each other. About five minutes later he stopped the car in front of the Hellcats´ house and felt still bad inside.

„Thank you for dinner." Marti began saying goodbye, still sitting in his BMW. „I enjoyed talking to you and Ally."

„I enjoyed talking to you, too." He said quietly and looked at her questioningly. Then he suddenly got out of the car and came around to open the door for her like a real gentleman. „Please..."

She smiled and got out. „You´re very well educated, Professor Parish."

„No, I´m not. I hurt your feelings by not laughing about your joke about your cheerleading and that wasn´t really nice. Think I have to apologize once more."

Carefully she put her backpack over the shoulder and thought of some good answer to his apology. Julian closed the door of his car and stood there waiting for – for what the hell was he actually waiting? He really didn´t know and mentally called himself a selfish old prick again.

„You´re welcome." She said carfully. „I´ll take a look at your case tomorrow. Together with Morgan."

„Morgan?"

„Harry Potter, who else?" She smirked.

„Oh... I must have forgotten his real name." He grinned. „Well, I´ll wait for your discovery. This is an important case, I hope you know that. So, don´t disappoint me."

„I´m a hundred percent pre-law student and Potter himself is, too. You can count on us. So... I have to go now. My roommates certainly are already waiting for me."

„I know. Thank you for ... everything." He quietly remarked with that sad look in his eyes again.

Marti´s heart began aching in emotion. „You once told me that you´re not a hugger, but tonight I think you deserve a real big hug..." She answered and suddenly put her arms around his neck, smelling his lulling after shave and trying not to faint because of him unexpectedly being so close to her.

Julian nearly stopped breathing, when feeling her arms around his neck and her body so damned close to his own. He shut his eyes in a certain pleasure and felt his heart beating like a hammer. Cheek to cheek they stood there in front of the house and he couldn´t help wrapping his arms around her body, too, stroking over her back and finally grab his fingers deep in her denim jacket. This young girl made him feel save and warm and she didn´t reject him. Instead of that she snuggled him like she had never done before.

Marti felt happy like hell and wasn´t really able to let him go. Her heartbeat alarmingly rose with every move he made and she had to tell herself not to forget to breathe. None of them had a single idea what to do or what to say at that special moment.

Suddenly Julian cleared his throat and whispered beneath her ear. „I... have to leave now..."

She immediately released him out of her embrace and avoided to look right into his eyes. „Good night." She murmured shyly and ran away quickly in huge fear of her upcoming feelings for him.

He stood there paralyzed in the twilight, watching her entering the house. Still feeling this enormous heartbeat in his breast. This was not what was supposed to happen, but it truly did after all. He actually fell in love with one of his students. When he sat down on his couch at home a little later he didn´t know nothing whatsoever about how he had got back safe. He was completely disarranged. And overwhelmed as well.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Marti closed the door to her bedroom and sighed with a wide grin on her face. She still could feel his fingers grabbing in her denim jacket. Finally she knew by now that her heart found some new subject to beat for. With closed eyes she thought of his face and how disarranged he must had been when she left him. Smiling all over she went to her bed and fell upon it with romance in her heart.

„What kind of drug did you take?" Savannah asked grinning when she came out of the bathroom.

„What?" Marti sat up, frightened by her sudden presence. „Savannah! You scared me to death!"

„Sorry for that. So, tell me what have you been thinking about?" The Hellcat´s captain wanted to know.

„Nothing important."

„Sure it was! You smiled like the two of us together."

„I didn´t."

„You did! Come on, we´re friends, aren´t we?"

„Yes we are. Believe me, there´s nothing to talk about."

„I´m sure, there is." Savannah sat down on her own bed, looking questioningly at her friend and still waiting for a more satisfying answer.

„Please! I have to work for my law class now. Look at all these papers I got from my professor! Harry Potter has to help me and I´ll give him a call right now." She quickly changed topic and stood up to search for her cell-phone in the backpack. Her legs shaking in fear of being detected. Convicted of falling in love with her teacher. Ridiculous!

Savannah remembered her of having a date with the Hellcats tonight. „We´re practising for sectionals at 8 p.m. this evening. How could you forget?"

„I didn´t forget it. I just can´t do it. This is important and can´t wait any longer. You have to find an excuse for me, please!" Marti lied, having a real bad conscience. „Tell them that I have to study for an important exam tomorrow. Or anything else!" She dialed Morgan´s number, hoping that he was at home right now.

Savannah wanted to protest but Marti didn´t let her do it, because of her already talking to Morgan on the phone. They made an appointment in about then minutes at the library and she was really happy to get away from Savannahs questioning eyes. With the papers under her arm she left without any explanation and Savannah stared astonished at her back when her friend closed the door.

When Marti met Morgan at the campus café, he really looked not amused. He hadn´t planned to brainstorm this evening with her.

„When did you get that papers? I´m still sick and fucking tired. Couldn´t that wait until tomorrow?" He had a go at her.

„The professor gave them to me after class today. I thought you were just playing hooky?"

„No, I didn´t. I´m really sick." Morgan had to cough and cleared his throat. „Okay... Let´s see what we´ve got. Why did you call that late in the evening?"

„I came home just a few minutes ago. Sorry... So, this is the case." She showed him the papers and explained the facts as heard from Julian before.

Morgan wasn´t really able to follow her thoughts and Marti decided to let him go home half an hour after they began to study the case. She went to her mum at the campus café and ordered a beer. Still there where those thoughts of Julian close to her, holding his hand, watching him eat and listening to his sexy voice. Marti smiled from time to time and her mother finally came over to ask her what she was dreaming of.

„I´m not dreaming, Mum."

„Sure you are."

The young woman rose her eyebrows and looked angry at her curious mother. „Don´t do that, Mum!"

„Okay, okay... So, how was it going with the candles?"

„Fine. My friend was really overwhelmed. And I have to thank you for your good advice." If she only knew, Marti thought with a big smile on her face.

„There it was again!" Her mother remarked to the point. „You smiled like a crackpot."

Marti sighed. „Just in your fantasy, Mum. I better go now. It´s late and instead of talking to Morgan about our new case I should rather have been going to the Hellcats´ practice."

„Shame on you."

„I just prioritize. Law class is more important sometimes. Sleep well!" She dropped of the bar stool and waved goodbye.

When she entered the house, no one was there and Marti happily grinned. No Savannah asking her stupid questions and suspecting the hell or whatever the fuck else. She slipped under the blanket and closed her eyes. Still there was his face in her mind. She couldn´t forget him, nearly crying at Ally´s grave. His heart broken in guilt and all alone in those godawful memories. Today she learnt something very important for her future live. Never judge someone before you get to know their whole story. Then she remembered his wish to buy her a new bike and so she thought of meeting him again at the store. Another private date. What a wonderful imagination! When Savannah came in fifteen minutes later, Marti had already fallen asleep.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 24.03.2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Feel free to complain about anything you want to * wink *


	3. Waiting for a wonder

Time to present a new chapter to the world – and you!

Thank you so much for your nice reviews – I´ll always try to answer them via PM.

So, let´s start for today.

Hope you like it, feel free to complain ^^

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 2 ~**

_Waiting for... a wonder_

Unexpectedly, her bike was found the next day in front of the cemetery. The police called her early in the morning and she could get it back before class. For a second, she thought of a bad karma because of the missed possibility to meet him in private again. But then she considered to tell him about her luck. Maybe they would get to talk to each other for a little while.

When she entered class, Professor Parish wasn´t amused of her coming late again. He didn´t even smile at all and went on explaining some paragraphs to the students, while Marti was sitting down on her chair next to Morgan. The whole hour he was the perfect teacher, neither looked at her nor asked her a question. And whenever she signaled he didn´t call on her to answer.

„He´s kind of weird today, isn´t he?" Morgan suddenly murmured.

Marti shrugged her shoulders and tried to stay calm. She was really hurt by the fact of being totally ignored. After the lesson, Julian let them both come to his desk and wanted to know what they had found out until now. They had to admit that there hasn´t been time to work on the case and he seemed really angry. So Marti promised to deal with it this evening and he let them go. Without showing any emotion at all. Morgan looked at her in surprise when they left the room.

„There is definitely something going on between the two of you." He said convinced.

„You´re crazy!"

„No, I´m not. What the hell did you do?"

„Nothing. 7 p.m. at my place! Be right in time!" She answered and got on her bike. Her inevitably upcoming tears weren´t meant to be shown to Harry Potter.

She cried like a baby the whole way home and slipped under the duvet without telling anybody what has happened to make her cry that much. Savannah finally walked out of the room and left her alone as she was not willing to talk to her. In her helplessness she decided to call Dan to make a try. When he came by, Savannah told him what she knew and he stepped right into Marti´s room, without knocking.

„Marti?" He asked carefully and sat down on her bed. „Savannah gave me a call. What´s going on here?"

The young girl took the cover off her face and let him see her tears. Dan took her hand, waiting to hear the story of her life. But she didn´t say anything. He sat next to her for half an hour and she just tried to swallow her tears without saying a word.

„I´ve never seen you more depressed, Marti." He worried.

„It´s okay. I´m okay. Don´t worry."

„It´s about a guy, isn´t it?" Dan assumed. „Girls only cry when they are in love."

Marti had to laugh although she felt desperate like hell. „You´re sweet Dan. But it´s not about some guy. I just failed an exam, that´s all. So go home and let me go on wallowing in self-pity, okay?"

Dan nodded. „I´m sorry for you. Things will get better, you´ll see." He stood up, gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek and left the room.

Savannah called him an idiot because of believing her that story about the failed exam, but he just shrugged his shoulders in ignorance.

Marti at least had to suffer from heartache for some more days. Julian completely ignored her and whenever they talked about the case, he seemed to be stonecold and favorited Morgans point of view. The young man now was sure that he was right with his suspect of something going on between the two of them. But Marti still didn´t want to tell him anything. About five days after they had met at the cemetery, the law class had to do an exam for real and Marti tried to do her best to impress him her own way. She decided to forget this almost affair and tried to go on with her studies like a real hundred percent law student. Deep inside her heart she knew that Julian was scared about his own feelings and that she had to give him some more time to get used to the thought of being in love with one of his students.

So she waited in excitement to get back her article with a perfect grade. It must have been damned good, she nearly wrote four pages about _Waverly vs. Gore._ When Julian finally gave the articles back and came up to her, he held the papers high above her head and showed it to the other students in pride.

„This one was the best, pupils. I want you to read it. Marti did a good job and you can learn a lot of her argumentation." He handed it over to Marti and went back to his desk without looking at her at all.

Morgan was just wondering again. „This really _is _weird. And don´t tell me that I´m crazy!" He murmured.

Marti was just looking at her article, having been graded with an A+, unfolded the paper and suddenly seem to suffer from some kind of heart attack. There was a folded post-it on the inside and she hectically closed the article again. Her heart beat rose in seconds and she felt a sudden heat in her face. Meanwhile Julian was just packing his stuff, going on to ignore her.

„So, let me read your masterpeace, please!" Morgan demanded grinning.

Marti panicked. „Not now! I have to go and see the Hellcats!" She left class in a real hurry and ran outside the unversitiy to catch her bike, breathless riding it until she stopped at the Hellcats´ home.

For the first time he had sent her a personal message and she was so excited to read it, when nobody else was intended to be there. For that reason alone she put up with playing hooky for the rest of the day. Finally sitting on her bed, she took out the article again and unfolded it with trembling fingers. The post-it was still there and she smiled about her fears of it getting lost along the way. There was only one handwritten note upon it.

_We have to talk, _

_8 p.m. at my place. _

_J. _

Marti´s eyes filled up with tears again, she was happy as hell. He wanted to see her! In private! This must have meant that he gave up his denial and wanted to show his feelings to her. The rest of the day she thought about the perfect outfit and what to say to him when they´ll meet again. Unfortunately the Hellcats were in ecstasy, too because regionals were coming soon. Marti had to lie once more to miss their practice in the evening and for the first time, Alice came along and talked to her in silence.

„You have to show up, Marti! That´s our last practice before regionals."

„I can´t. I´m sorry. My mum wants me to visit grandma, ´cause she´s dying. That´s more important than regionals. I´m already good enough, I know that."

„You´re really weird these days, you know?"

„Have you talked to Morgan?"

„Morgan?"

„Forget about it. I´m not being weird. I´m just responsible, that´s all. So go and leave me alone! I have to make it right in time."

„So that´s why you looked so tear-stained the whole week through?"

„Yes it is. My granny raised me and I truly love her."

Alice hauled off to hit her right where she deserved it. „So, even your professor had to comfort you because of your dying granny?" She quietly avered.

Marti tried not to blush immediately. „What?"

„I saw the two of you. In an intimate embrace. Out on the street a few days ago."

„Oh... Yes, I just had gotten the message on my cell-phone. My granny was taken to the hospital and I was really shocked. The professor took me home, because my bike had been stolen on the campus. I got it back the other day and believe it or not, I thought of that to be some good sign for my granny. But as you can see, it hasn´t helped at all. I have to go now. She always loved roses a lot and I want to bring her some of the real large ones." Marti never had lied better before.

„I´m sorry for that. But it would be great to have you with us tonight. Maybe...?"

„ALICE!" Marti shouted at her in disbelief. „Don´t you have one ounce of decency anymore?"

„Okay... Sorry, I didn´t want to upset you." The scheming Hellcat left her room and Marti sat on her bed, breathing in fear of having already been detected.

o o o o o o o o o o

When she stood in front of his door, Marti couldn´t hardly breathe and her fingers trembled like they´ve never done before. She waited for about five minutes and still wasn´t able to ring the bell. Maybe he´d show up in that lovely sleeve again? She told herself not to be ridiculous and just in time she rang the bell indeed. Her heart was terribly aching and she felt like a goddamned nervous wreck.

Suddenly Julian opened the door and looked right into her eyes for the first time in days. Marti swallowed her hardly available spit but instead of saying hello she just stared at him in fascination. Her throat felt nearly dry. His eyes seemed to tell her what she was longing to hear for days. Julian tried to smile and thought of her being just as beautiful as he had imagined. His heart opened once more, while they were glancing at each other misty-eyed. At a moment´s notice he grabbed her arm and jerkily embraced her with that certain hunger, shut the door immediately with his foot and kissed her passionately on these terrifically inviting lips. It felt like the eruption of a volcano and he seemed completely out of control. There neither was tenderness nor tranquillity in that sudden act of emotional attention.

They stumbled through the hall right into his bedroom, not stopping their deep kiss for a single moment. He just wanted to devour her at once. Julian pulled off her shirt all along the way, opened his own one really agitated and let it slip on the floor without letting his mouth leave her lips for more than just one second. This was bound to be wild and Marti heard herself sighing like a long forgotten instrument. He pitched her on his bed, opened the zipper of her jeans hectically, pulled it off her hips and then did the same with his own one in at least half a minute. They got undressed in no time at all and Marti´s heart was beating like a drum when he quickly came over her and grabbed for a condom on the nightstand. The moment he penetrated her, Marti screamed out loudly full of relish and Julian himself moaned in excitement. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she pushed him harder to her body and they made love in some kind of animalistic, nearly crude way. When he got her orgiastically screaming while having her orgasm, he immediately came himself deep inside her, moaning like some deer during rutting season.

Totally exhausted he lay down upon her sweaty body and they both tried to recover their heavy breath and raging heartbeat. Marti couldn´t believe that she was able to do those kind of sounds in highest agitation and embraced him tenderly, kissing his cheek over and over. Julian himself kept his eyes closed and felt damned happy for the first time after Ally´s death. He felt himself being alive again. Feeling her heartbeat on his chest was the most wonderful sound he had heard over the last years and he didn´t want to let her out of his embrace, still resting inside of her. Carefully he lifted his head and looked into her sparkling eyes. They were full of joy, he luckily found out and searched for the right words to apologize for his hasty set on her. That hasn´t even been planned at all. He had been completely overwhelmed by desire. But there still was something to talk about.

„This is going to be serious, you know?" He whispered and stroke his fingers tenderly through her hair. „I really mean it."

Marti smiled happily. „Dito." She answered quietly.

He carefully touched her lips with his finger and then gave her a caring kiss. Let his tongue slip lovingly in her mouth and sighed in deep pleasure. This was heaven to both of them. After a little while Julian released her mouth and looked at her in disbelief. She was laying here with him and they had made love for the first time. Who would have thought of that? He finally had to remove the condom and rolled slowly off her body, using some garbage can beneath the bed and then he pulled the duvet in brown satin carefully over both of them. Marti huddled against him, he pulled his arm around her and she sighed once more in happiness.

„I´m in love with you..." He murmured, stroking her arm.

Marti lifted her head again and looked at him with a smile on her face. „Really?" She asked provocatively, with a certain amusement in her eyes.

„Truly, madly, deeply." Julian answered seriously. „Don´t laugh at me, Nancy Drew!"

„So, you wanna stand with me on a mountain, Professor Parish?"

„I wanna lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me..."

„You´re crazy!" Marti grinned, shaking her head. „But I like the way you talk to me."

„I just wanted to fool around a bit, ´cause we have to talk seriously soon."

„I know." Marti got serious herself again.

„We can´t live our relationship in public, you know that."

„Yeah, but I thought of maybe changing class. What about that option?" She wanted to know with a slight hope in her voice.

Julian shook his head. „Better, but not perfect. What are you willing to sacrifice for our... love?"

Marti hit him with a light beat on his chest. „You had to ponder before you said that word?" She told him off and laughed. „Shame on you!"

Instead of answering, he kissed her intensely, rolled over her and let her forget every thought of the last five minutes. He was able to drive her wild only with a kiss. Marti lovingly ran her fingers through his hair and flew away once more. But Julian intimately knew how to bring her back on earth again and stopped their kiss after a few minutes by putting his finger tenderly between their lips.

„Hold it..." He whispered aroused. „Back to topic, before we´re going to get deeper in tender moments, okay?"

Marti sighed frustrated and laid down her head in the curve of his neck. „O-kay..."

„You change class, however, I´m going to let you know all about my further lessons and we hide for a few months. After that little procedure we´ll be able to live our love in public. Note that I _didn´t_ hesitate this time!"

She suddenly lifted up her head laughing out loud. „Noticed. Sounds to be a good solution I think. But tell me... You´re already planning in months?" Marti smiled and felt her heart shaking once more.

Julian felt kind of ashamed of his thoughts about their future and tried to forbear smiling by pressing his lips on top of one another. „I told you this is serious. So...What are you going to do?"

„I´m going to do what you´ve been proposing, Professor. And just to make it clear: I love it when you´re planning our future."

„I thought so." He grinned and kissed her again in agitation.

Shivering in awareness they began to discover their bodies in slow motion this time. Space and time were of no importance anymore, they slowly showed their love for one another. Julian kissed her all over, let his tongue wander over her naked skin, trying not to lose himself in his deeper feelings for her. She seemed so pretty and innocent to him that he actually had to remind himself of her having a personal foretime. Marti enjoyed every touch like something very special and gave back like a billion tender strokes herself. Changing deep kisses and using fondly fingertips to discover one another, they brought themselves to highest agitation again.

Julian had to take another condom and unexpectedly gave it to her in order to slip it on his erection. She looked at him in disbelief, because none of her sexual contacts had ever let her do this. So he kissed her encouraging again and she tried to do it the best way she was able to. He seemed to be very pleased since he moaned until she had done with. The moment he slowly entered her again this night, she felt like some very special woman to him. He looked right into her eyes the whole time through and Marti wished to drown in his ones. Having him so close as possible was the most wonderful experience she had ever made. Their hearts beating as one, their bodies melting into each other, feeling like unity. Julian tried to find a common rhythm while jerking inside her. Half an eternity later they both came with heavy contractions in quick succession and then slumped down of total exhaustion. Sweaty and very tired they laid upon each other on the sheets, feeling ridiculously happy. They didn´t talk at all, tried to relax and listen to the silence, not to mention to their pounding hearts.

Later they decided to sleep and Marti snuggled up to him, still naked and feeling blessed like hell. Julian himself thought of the past five years and had to convince himself of believing that this relationship was real. His fingers stroking tenderly over Marti´s arms, he searched for a reason why he should have had such luck in finding this sweet little girl with that big heart in her breast.

„Ally loves you." Marti suddenly remarked, drawing circles with her forefinger all over his skin.

„What?" He was wondering.

„I said, Ally loves you."

„Don´t do that to me, Marti..." He murmured.

„Do what?"

„Talking of Ally as if she were still alive."

Marti lifted her head in amazement and found him with watered eyes. „She brought us together, don´t you think so?"

Julian swallowed his upcoming tears and tried to answer. But that was really hard for him to do. „I don´t believe in souls above, watching us and doing things to make us feel better..." He whispered teared up.

„Maybe you should? She HAD something to do with it, believe me. She decided you deserved to be happy. Nothing ever happens without a reason."

In case he would have been as strong as usually, he perhaps could have banned what was going to happen now, but this time he had no chance to show strength, for her letting him completely feeling overwhelmed. He bashfully turned away his head and Marti noticed one single tear drop slowly rolling over his cheek. She really got frightened in some way, because he seemed to be terribly desperate and she had no idea how to help.

„Julian?" He didn´t react, just grabbed his face and fingers deeper in the pillow. „You haven´t ever allowed yourself to cry over her death, right?" She whispered and touched his hair in tenderness. „That´s okay. You mustn´t feel ashamed, I´ll just hold you..." Wrapping her arms around him in love, she had to notice him losing his poise at all.

For half an hour he has been weeping silently, feeling warm and safe in her embrace. Marti just gave him her warmth and tender touch. Her eyes filled with tears, too, and she thought of the martyrdom he had to go through without someone to talk to or at least to be there for him. Ally actually _did_ a good job in her opinion. Marti hadn´t been able to relax until he finally fell asleep and she could listen to his steady breath.

Tbc...

©Mrs. NiG, 30.03.11

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o


	4. Suspicions

So here´s the next chapter of my story – I hope you like it ^^

Special thanks to the last reviewers, I´d really like to read more critics!

There _must_ be something to criticize, I´m not as self-confident to believe that it´s perfect the way it is * lol *

By the way, I forgot to use the English way of quotation marks in the last two (?) chapters, I´m so sorry for that – today it´s in English again.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 3 ~**

_Suspicions_

At around eight in the morning Marti left Julian´s house and rode her bike back to the Hellcats´ home, thinking of their special wake up a few minutes ago. He had kissed her tenderly, trying to apologize for the tears by saying sorry for the failing last night. Stop being ridiculous, she had disgustingly answered and he finally had to listen to a woman´s speech about loving him for being an honest and emotional man, ´cause they obviously were so rare in this cruel world. He just had to believe it. They had made another appointment for the day after tomorrow at the cemetery again and Marti had promised to manage changing class until then – they would meet a few hours later the same day at the university and she´ll have the compulsive papers ready for him to sign. After another deep kiss, she had taken a shower and had left the house with a big smile on her face.

Back in her room again, Savannah wasn´t there anymore. No one had seen her entering the house, she was glad. Changing clothes and leaving at time for her first lesson today was her most important concern at the moment, so she stood in front of the closet, doors wide open and was all lost in thought, when Savannah suddenly came in, wrapped in a big towel.

"So you´re back again." She said. "WHERE the hell have you been the whole night through?" Her voice sounded quiet but really angry.

"Holy shit!" Marti nearly suffered from a heart attack and immediately sat down on her bed, holding her hand upon her breast. This might be the future feeling, she worried. "Why do you have to sneak off in so unexpected? I thought you´re already off to class!"

"No, I´m not. I woke up around four in the morning and you still were absent! Can you imagine how worried I´ve been?"

Marti shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, I didn´t want you to worry."

"But you did! So, where have you been?"

"Not at Dan´s. Keep calm."

"I know that. Tell me, where have you been?"

"You´re neither my mother nor my sister. I don´t have to tell you anything."

Savannah sighed. "No, you haven´t. But we´re friends, aren´t we?"

"Sure, we are. But there are still things to keep in private, don´t you think so?"

"Maybe you´re right. I just thought about the truth. Alice told me your granny was going to die. Have you been to hospital?"

Marti felt really bad about that lie and she didn´t want to do the same to Savannah. "Listen... I lied to Alice. Okay? My granny already died three years ago."

"You lied to her?"

"I had to. Don´t ask any further."

Savannah sat on her bed and sighed again. "Okay, you owe me the truth, roommate. That´s the least you can do for me. I´m going to back you, aren´t I?"

She was right, so Marti decided to be honest with her. "Okay. Good point. I think... I´m in love."

Savannah smiled. "I thought so. Who is he?"

"You have to keep that a secret, promise me!" Marti hauntingly looked at her friend, begging for discretion.

"I promise." Savannah answered, holding up three fingers to swear.

Marti nodded contentedly. "It´s Julian." She murmured.

"Julian who?"

"Julian Parish..."

"Erm... I don´t remember that name...?"

"My law professor."

Savannah nearly screamed out loud in pure horror and right in time pushed a hand upon her mouth.

"Calm down!" Marti said, quite uncertain of having done the right thing by telling her about her affair.

"He must be kind of... old... Isn´t he already in his fourties?"

"No, he isn´t. Have you ever seen him?"

"Maybe? I don´t know exactly..."

So Marti began to romanticize about Julian, his good looks and brainpower. At least about his experienced way of making love and how they actually got together. Savannah sat there with eyes wide open and had no words for Marti´s hymn. They finally started dressing while talking quietly about her prospective possibilities and then Marti also told her about Alice´s notice of Julian and her embracing each other in front of the house.

"Be aware of her, she´s dangerous." Savannah said, looking obviously serious.

"I know. But thanks for your support."

They left the house last-minute and made it off to their classes.

o o o o o o o o o o o o

"What the hell...?" Morgan nearly freaked out when hearing of Marti quitting class. "You can´t leave me alone with that furious professor! He is only like a lamb with YOU by my side!"

"We´re still working together, so calm down!" Her eyes were searching some horizon to look at. It was getting more and more complicated.

"Then why are you changing class?"

"I have to, because of the Hellcats´ practice. Believe me, I hate it myself the most!"

Morgan looked her in the eyes and immediately knew that she didn´t tell the truth. "You´re not good at lying, Nancy Drew..."

"And you´re not good at investigation, Harry Potter. By the way, I have to go now. Hellcats´ stuff is saving my scholarship, you know?" Marti answered cleverly. "We´re going to meet tomorrow to work on the case?"

Morgan nodded. "Sure we´ll do. I still have to find out about your secrets, you know?" He laughed quietly and thought of having won the round.

The young woman got on her bike, shaking her head in disbelief about Morgan´s answer, and rode away quickly for her appointment at the cemetery. She was totally nervous and didn´t know what she had to expect. Julian maybe would become desperate again, when visiting Ally´s grave and Marti couldn´t bear that once more. So she tried to concentrate on her riding and felt the warm summer breeze upon her face. He´d been already waiting for her, a big smile on his face, now watching her getting off the bike with that lovely look in her eyes. He stumbled in fascination and went towards her, scolding himself for being so nervous.

"Finally..." He said obviously happy, blushing in embarrassment.

Marti gave him a big hug and he grabbed his fingers in her jacket once again. "Have you been waiting for a long time?" She whispered in his ear. "Morgan stopped me on the campus. He´s really upset and he doesn´t trust you. By the way, I like you getting scatty because of me showing up."

Julian lifted his eyebrows and eased their embrace. "Very funny, Nancy! So, what does that mean, he doesn´t trust me?"

"I had to make sure that we´ll still work together so that you can´t be in a furious rage because of

him." Marti grinned. "Well, I lied to him. Said that I had to change class because of the cheerleading practice. But he probably already knows about us. So be careful what you say, okay? He may ask in one way or another, I know him, he wants to reveal my secrets, he told me with a big grin on his face."

"Smart guy..." Julian admitted. "But you haven´t seen me beating Harry Potter yet, have you? Call me Draco Malfoy! Come on, let´s go inside..." Julian laughed. "Will you take a seat on my magic broom, please?"

Marti giggled like a child. "You´re evil. Just... wait a second... I´d like to know what we are going to do at the cemetery. I mean, are we going to visit Ally again?" Her eyes looked at him over in fear.

"Actually not. I thought of taking a romantic walk inside because there probably will be no students or people who might know us and it´s a really nice park with big trees and many benches to rest upon." Julian explained and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Is that okay for you?"

She took his hand, crossed their fingers and kissed him back. "Perfect plan. I didn´t guess that you´re romantic?"

"It´s all because of you, don´t you know?" He grinned and Marti slapped him on the ass. "Ouch!"

When standing at Ally´s grave at least, he began to shiver once more and Marti held his hand a little stronger. She nearly had to force him to visit his daughter again. Now, looking at the grave, she was thinking of talking to her, because he definitely had no words at all. Not least because of her having said that Ally must love him. She felt guilty in some way.

"Ally, sweetheart...? I`m Marti, do you remember me? I just want to thank you for your intervention, ´cause I know you had a finger in the pie. Your daddy is happy now, believe me. Even if he can´t tell you, I know he _is_ and he loves you more than words can say."

Julian cleared his throat in surprise. "Let´s go, Marti. I hope she could hear you, wherever she might be." He obviously had to control himself for not crying once more. There was no possibility to avoid his sentimental feelings and so he had to fight being overwhelmed again.

They left the grave together and started the romantic walk through the cemetery. Hand in hand without saying a word, thinking of Ally and her so called intervention. Marti was waiting on him to start the conversation and Julian was trying to retain his composure. After a while, they sat down on one of the benches in between some lovely bushes, still holding hands like some immature teenagers. Julian softly squeezed her fingers from time to time.

"It´s kind of weird, but I like falling silent with you." He unexpectedly broke the silence.

"You´re sweet..." She smiled and looked at him in love. "Did you get any reaction on releasing me from your class?"

"Not yet. I hope the two of you can go on working together without having any problems?"

"Me, too! Morgan is a really smart guy..." She sighed, turned her head around again, hoping of some intimacy. Missing him that much was not what she had expected when saying _yes_ to this relationship. Marti has never been more in love with a man and so she kept dreaming of being touched by him the whole day through.

Julian looked deep into her eyes, found that certain sparkle and leaned towards her. "Maybe I´m crazy but I´d wish to kiss you from the moment we met a few minutes ago."

"Be my guest..." Marti whispered, closing her eyes and looking forward to being kissed by his adorable lips.

Still there were those billions of butterflies waking up and making trouble inside their bellies whenever they got closer. Julian held her tight in his arms, using his tongue to show his emotions. He tenderly touched her cheek with his fingers, stroke down to her neck, passing by the collarbone with his fingertips and got her more and more excited this way. Once in a while she stopped breathing by feeling such kind of longing and ambition, nearly causing some kind of pain inside.

It ended up in his bed at home again, them wrestling like hell and finally falling asleep, having made wild and unconscious love the whole afternoon through. Julian had played hooky himself this time – he had totally forgotton an important meeting with his client and when he got the call to remember, he just apologized for personal reasons, while looking at Marti, sleeping like an angel beside him. He carefully put the cell phone aside and shook his head, smiling about his own immature behavior.

"You did _not_ lie to your client because of you and me here being together?" Marti whispered with closed eyes when he now was putting his arm around her hips and nestling to her from behind.

"Thought you were asleep?" He whispered, burying his nose in her blond curls.

"Heard the ringtone. You got _Right here waiting for you _from Richard Marx. Really romantic for a law professor..." She murmured and crossed her fingers with Julian´s in front of her breast.

He still laid behind her, felt her warm skin and sighed. "I´m sorry, didn´t want to wake you up..."

„So... No explanation for that ridiculously romantic song?"

He softly kissed her on the neck. "I don´t have any. Heard it a few days ago on the radio and had to think of you. So I put it on my cell phone to remember you whenever I get a call."

"No one has ever done such sentimental things because of me..." Marti said quietly. "I really appreciate it."

„You have no idea what you´re making out of me – a freak, to be honest, a damned irresponsible one! And I can´t help thinking of you all the time."

Marti smiled and kissed his fingertips crossed with hers in front of her breast. "I have to leave now... Hellcats never rest, I´m afraid. Maybe you want to listen to my band at the campus pub on the weekend? Saturday at 8 p.m.?"

"I´ve never been there before. Maybe this would be way too obvious?"

"No, it wouldn´t. You come to see Travis – how he´s doing in his job. Am I good or am I good?" She grinned.

"You´re a fucking devil... And I´m going to hell with the greatest possible pleasure ever!"

Marti turned around and kissed him passionately. "You once asked me what I´m willing to sacrifice for our love, remember? Here is the answer: everything."

One more time to kiss and to let their tongues communicate. After another really hot quickie, Marti got out of his bed, hardly able to walk, and took a refreshing shower. It always took some time to come to earth again. Afterwards she kissed him goodbye and left the house for practicing with the Hellcats.

o o o o o o o o o o o o

The practice did go well. They were absolutely fantastic, Vanessa admitted at the gym. Later Alice came over to Marti and took her aside. She wanted to talk to her in private and Marti immediately was scared to death. Whatever might come, she would have to go through it.

"I´ve been to prison for a visit. Jake seems really desperate. Is there any chance to do him a favor?"

"What kind of favor do you mean?" Marti asked visibly relieved.

"You brought a guitar to Travis. Maybe you could talk to your law professor to get him out sooner? For good conduct? He could do it, don´t you think so?"

"You want me to make Professor Parish become his defense attorney? Why should he do this? Jake could afford any hotshot solicitor. By the way, he has already more privileges than the non football players in arrest."

"Well, I think your professor knows best his case, at least Jake told me about that. Besides he has to redress something, hasn´t he?" Alice answered quietly, looking quite threatening at Marti.

"I recently changed class. But I´m going to ask him. For you, not for Jake." Marti winked.

"You changed class? Why would you do that?"

"I had to, because of our training schedules. Morgan and I are working on a new case for professor Parish and I need more time for investigation, too. Besides, I´m going to learn more from working on real cases than from any lesson at the university. My new professor is good, too. But she doesn´t let the students help her in reality, that´s the point."

"I see. You want to get the best education available by scholarship. Really smart. So you´re going to ask him?"

"I´ll do. But I can´t promise you anything. He is quite opinionated, you know? But I really have to go to sleep now. Had a hard day today."

"How´s your granny?"

"She died this afternoon. Thanks for asking, I´m just fine." Marti gave her a wry smile and went out of the gym, feeling her heart beating like a drum.

Alice grinned contentedly and went away to Savannah, talking to her about their friend Marti who seemed really weird these days, but she felt totally ignored. Savannah just nodded and ran away to catch her sister, who was waiting for her outside the gym.

Marti didn´t sleep well that night. She had no idea how to deal with Alice´s demand for help and her terrible lie about her grandmother´s death. Only the fact that her granny already died about three years ago, made her feel a little better.

When she told him about Alice´s idea on the phone, Julian reacted the same way. His first thought had been that Alice might know something about their relationship. As a result, they decided not to see each other the whole week through, except the brainstorming lessons together with Morgan. The hardest thing ever, Marti complained. To be this close to the one you love without the lightest chance to touch one another, really demanded a great deal of them. Several court appearances of Julian and Hellcats´ practices also restrained them from being together, even during the nights. Besides, Marti thought of not providing Alice with some more speculation. And Julian actually went to prison to talk to Jake. He promised trying to help him after hearing that some other prisoners have beaten him for particular attention as a famous football player. So Alice got satisfied for the moment and they didn´t have to be afraid of their denunciation for some time.

On Saturday evening, Marti had that gig with her band at the campus pub and she was so excited to meet Julian again, even if they wouldn´t talk to one another. She just wanted him to see her play the gig. On the phone she told him, that she would sing only for him and he laughed about her romantic statement. But Marti glibly answered that she was only telling the truth, no matter if it sounds romantic or not. Julian felt his heart burst of longing and he just wished himself to hold her close and steal a deep kiss from her lips. Both of them were looking forward to this evening and meeting each other again.

"Whatever´s going to happen, I´ll back you." Savannah promised to Marti before leaving their room for the concert.

"Thank you. I´m really frightened. Maybe I can´t hide my happiness when seeing him there?" She worried. "We _have_ to meet outside the pub. I just can´t take it any longer. So sad to have to steal some tender moments, don´t you think so?"

"He must be worth much more..." Savannah smirked, hugging her true friend. "I saw him a few times this week and he looked quite happy and relaxed every time you were around. This man is seriously in love with you, believe me!"

"I know. So am I. Have you ever felt this lonesome and just like one half of the whole thing?"

"You´re pathetic!" Savannah laughed. "But... No, I have never felt like that. I´d wish I had!"

Marti gave her a huge hug. "Dan is the one, isn´t he?" She whispered in her ear.

"Maybe he is. We´ve already gone further. If we should ever have sex together, I know that I´ll never forget him anymore."

"No comment." Marti giggled.

Savannah punched her on the shoulder and grinned, too. "I hope you remember him in a positive way!"

"The point is, that you both have to be in love, when having sex. So it doesn´t matter, if he´s good or bad, it´s only important that he tries his best."

"You´re right. But... Did he try his best?" Savannah smiled innocent.

"I don´t know. I´ve never tried again."

The Hellcats´ captain sighed admitting defeat. "If I´d ever be in need of a defense attorney myself, I´ll choose you. Alice would be totally crazy to take you on."

"Good point!" Marti grinned. "Let´s go, we´re already late."

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 08.04.11 CET

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o


	5. Secrets revealing

Time for a new chapter!

Hope you still like it.

**A/N:** Since I´ve read the official storyline for the upcoming episodes in April and May I really feel under pressure. The point is that I don´t want them to copy me or vice versa. I just made the right moves forward and I truly hope that you don´t think I hadn´t had the ideas myself. It´s already written down. So EVERYTHING you´ll read in further chapters is my own fantasy and in case CW had the same one it´s not my fault – they unfortunately were late ;-)

Due to the missing reviews for the last chap I have to thank only all readers today.

Hope you enjoyed it, that´s all I´d like to purpose ^^

Curtain up!

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 4 ~**

_Secrets revealing_

When Julian entered the pub, Marti had already stood on the stage, performing one of their new songs. He saw her playing the guitar and couldn´t help remaining breathless in sentimental mood. She looked perfect to him, her blond curly hair waving in action. Wearing that damned tight jeans and a white low-cut top under her short denim jacket. Nothing special, it just fitted her well and made him dream of getting her slowly undressed in his bedroom at home. Unfortunately he had to ignore her completely and went on searching for Travis to say hello. The former client stood behind the bar and talked to Marti´s mum. Still Julian didn´t know whether Marti told her mother about their relationship, so he decided to be careful with words.

"Hey..." He said quietly to Travis. "How are you doing?"

Travis seemed really happy to meet him again and offered to shake hands. "I´m doing fine, thanks. What drink can I get for you? At my cost."

"Just a glass of wine. Red and dry, maybe some Cabernet Sauvignon?"

"I´m sorry, Sir, we don´t have any exclusive wine. Maybe you´d like to have a beer instead?"

Julian smiled in real amusement. It´s been a long time that he´d been to a campus pub. "Okay, a beer would be okay. And call me Julian, please. So, have you decided to claim for damages?"

"I haven´t thought about it yet. Do you think it might be successful?"

"Sure. Don´t be afraid of asking me to support you. I´ll do it pro bono, okay?"

Travis nodded, putting the beer in front of Julian. "Thanks. Have you seen Marti playing? She´s great." He added with a grin on his face, looking over to the smart girl on the stage.

"No, I haven´t yet." Julian turned around, looking quite surprised. "Really! There she is! A very talented young woman, isn´t she?"

"As if you didn´t know..." Travis murmured.

Julian´s head whipped around. "What?" His heartbeat rose in less than a second.

"Nothing. I just talked to myself."

At this moment, fortunately Marti´s mum came along again and said hello to Julian. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Parish. You and Marti did a great job." She watched him definitely too intense.

"Your daughter is very talented. She might become a famous attorney at law some day."

"I know. And if it doesn´t work at all, she might become a famous singer instead." Wanda smirked. "Are you here on your own?"

"Yes, I just wanted to talk to Travis. But I have to leave soon for getting some sleep. Thanks for the beer, Travis. Remember, I´ll help you to claim for damages."

Travis smugged, looking curiously at Wanda when Julian went away slowly, still holding the beer in his hands. On stage Marti sneaked a peek of Julian, expressing to meet outside the pub in about a few minutes and had to concentrate once more on her playing and the lyrics of the song. Hopefully no one had seen the little wordless conversation with their fingers between the two of them, she thought in uncertainty. A glimpse at Morgan on the other side of the pub let her go on hoping not to have been detected by anyone yet. The professor talked a little to some other students and finally left the pub, while Marti was finishing their current song with anticipation.

Backing her roommate wasn´t as easy as considered. Savannah had to be very attentive for not losing Marti or Alice in the crowd. Most of the time she talked to Dan and some of his friends, but her boyfriend noticed very quickly that there was something special going on.

"You´re not listening to me, what the hell is so important here?" Dan complained, waiting for her answer.

"Nothing. It´s interesting, isn´t it?" Savannah evaded, looking attentively around once more.

"I know that face. You´re lying to me. Since we´ve come here you´ve been watching Marti, Alice and some other guys like a snake waiting for the next meal. So, what the hell´s going on?"

"Sorry, I don´t know what you´re talking about...?" She answered quietly, her eyes sticking at the exit of the pub where Julian had disappeared a few seconds ago. A sudden glimpse on Alice let her nearly faint right away. "Dan, I have to talk to Alice immediately, wait a second, please! It´s about our next practice..." Savannah rushed away and left Dan open-mouthed.

Instead of seeing Alice, she first went to Wanda and hastily ordered a drink for the Hellcat friend. Better she´d come with something to offer, she thought cleverly. At the very last moment she was able to stop Alice leaving the pub by offering her the drink, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"We have to toast on this wonderful evening, don´t you think so? I heard you visited Jake. Is he doing fine?" Savannah even didn´t want to let her take a breath.

Alice simpered. "He feels desperate, what else? Thought you´re with Marti, but now she´s gone. Has she already left?" Her eyes were scanning the whole pub but Marti had been already disappeared outside. "Fuck!" It just slipped out of her mouth.

"Alice!" Savannah blustered. "You´re crazy tonight, aren´t you?"

"No, I´m not crazy! I just wanted to prove something... And I failed because of you and your fucking drink!"

"Oh, come on, Honey! Whatever you wanted to prove, I didn´t know. But I _do_ know that we´re here to be on the loose and I´m so happy that we can be together and listen to Marti´s wonderful band!"

"Didn´t you notice? She´s gone!" Alice said, losing her temper. "You´re so damned naive, girlie!"

Savannah really was upset about Alice talking to her so barefaced. "I am _not_ naive! You´re evil, Alice!" She tore up, playing her role nearly perfectly. "I thought you´re lonely, because of Jake not being here and you´re only trying to offend me! This isn´t nice! Not at all!" Some more tears filled her eyes and she wiped them away with a really dramatic gesture.

"God, you make me want to puke!" Alice grumbled. "Go and entertain Dan, he deserves it!" She tried to escape out of their conversation, but suddenly Morgan stood in front of her, asking her to dance. "What?" She looked at him in disbelief. "I don't even knowyou, so why should I want to dance with you!"

Morgan smiled, feeling really cool. "That´s why I asked you. To get to know you better." He reached out for her hand, waiting for her accepting the offer.

"I must have really bad luck tonight!" Alice answered ironically, hustling her full of anger leaving towards the exit.

Morgan and Savannah watched her go off in some kind of helplessness, looking interested at each other...

o o o o o o o o o o o

Meanwhile Julian tried to hide outside the pub on the street, a bit away behind some big tree beside the pavement. The next street lamp was just far enough, that he could see what´s going on around him but wasn´t able to be seen in the shadow of the leaves from a distance. He felt obviously nervous like hell and waited for her in excitement. Getting more and more angry about his own childish behavior. But he couldn´t stop acting like that. She was special to him. Honest and lovely. Beautiful and sexy. Smart and hard working. Simply perfect. He sighed, dreaming of being together with her in his bedroom again. Feeling her close to him made him happier than he´d ever expected to be able to be. She was the one who understood him, who gave him some kind of familiar feeling, which he had missed for a long time. He impatiently stared at the exit of the pub, feeling happy and nervous at the same time.

When Marti finally came out through the door, scanning around the whole street to find him, he looked up to her in satisfaction. Suddenly their looks met and she ran straight into his arms behind the tree, hugging him so hard that he nearly couldn´t breathe. Marti had felt quite lost until the moment she was staying in his embrace again. Feeling his fingers grabbing into her denim once more, made her so ridiculously happy that she almost tore up. Julian leaned against the tree trunk with her close to him and hid his face in Marti´s hair. His whole body shaking all over in agitation.

"God, I missed you..." He whispered happily in her ear. "Never thought that I could miss someone that much..."

"Not even Ally?"She asked quietly, feeling his soft lips on her earlap, producing goose bumps all over her skin.

"That´s different, totally different..." Julian murmured.

"It hurts. It really hurts a lot not to be with you. Not to feel your breath upon my face, not to touch you and not to talk to you... I´m hoplessly devoted to you, Julian..."

"Me too. I couldn´t sleep the whole week through. Had to think about you all the time. I was worrying if you´re fine and if we´re still safe."

"We are. We still are." Marti murmured and finally looked deep into his eyes. There was that certain hunger and longing she knew from herself. "Kiss me..." She appealed quietly to him.

Julian smiled happily and kissed her desperately on the lips, sighing in pleasure and romantic feelings. She willingly opened her mouth and showed him her love, too. Running her fingers gently through his hair, stroking tenderly from his neck to the top of his head and back again. For some minutes they even forgot that they might have been detected. To get lost in tenderness and the feeling of security was kind of new to both of them. Julian held her so damned tight, trying not to let her go anymore, while kissing her with such warmth and honesty. When they finally heard some students laughing and talking to each other from a distance, Marti suddenly interrupted their intimate kiss and embrace.

"I better go now..." She whispered, stroking softly over his cheek, feeling not one single hair because of him being shaped so well.

Julian sighed once more. "I know... Later?"

"Later. Don´t forget me..."

"As if I could ever forget you!" Julian smiled, putting his forehead to hers. "I´m patiently waiting as long as necessary. Now go and play your gig. Make me proud of you, okay?"

"I hardly can´t await to be with you later. You better warm up your bed, got it?" She answered with a wide grin on her face and softly kissed him goodbye.

Julian stood there, watching her run away happily until she disappeared inside the pub again. He left in contentedness and smiled all over the whole way home. After having lost his daughter, he´d never expected to fall in love again. But he finally did and whatever this may cause in the future, he would never let her go again.

o o o o o o o o o o o

The moment Alice opened the door to leave the campus pub for investigation, Marti went in.

"Hey! It´s not as warm as I thought outside." Marti smiled. "You better take a jacket with you!"

"Shut up!" Alice hissed. She was definitely too late. "Thought you´re here for playing a gig!"

Marti didn´t answer and went towards the stage, not looking back to Alice, who still stood there in infuriation. The pre-law student was shaking all over and wanted to be with Julian instead. When Savannah came over, Marti could see it in her eyes. Alice had been on the hunt for her.

"_You_ stopped her?" She asked quietly.

"I did. She must think I´m totally crazy."

"Thanks a lot. No one else who seemed to observe me?"

"Not really. I mean, I didn´t recognize."

"How about Morgan?"

"He asked Alice to dance, you know? That was quite weird, but he seemed kind of disoriented and desperately in love somehow. I had trouble not to laugh." Savannah smirked. "He was looking so innocent and Alice treated him like an annoying bug. She can be a real devil sometimes."

"I know, she´s after me. Actually no one is able to stop her. We have to be very careful, okay? Well, I have to play some more songs now. The show must go on..." Marti said rationally, hugging Savannah and then going off to the stage, still trembling all over in memory of the last few minutes in Julian's arms.

Morgan smiled at her and sat down on one of the tables in front of the stage. She immediately knew that he must have seen something because of his eyes. They were laughing at her. To concentrate again on her music, she showed him her back and talked to her band for a little while, trying to change thoughts this way. When she turned around again, playing the first chords, Morgan was gone. She was really scared at that moment. What the hell might he be planning to do? The song had to be played and Marti tried her best even if she failed a few times and sang not very well. Half an hour later she was done and could get away from the pub. When she was about to leave,Savannah mentioned that Alice might be following her, so Marti had another problem to solve. While she was thinking about the best way to get out of the pub without being seen by Alice, Morgan stepped by the second time.

"Ladies..." He smiled friendly. "Wanna dance?" His eyes looked deep into Marti´s and she nodded hectically in huge fear of his upcoming suspects. So Morgan took her on the dance floor and tried to embrace her.

"Not _that_ way, Harry Potter!" She complained.

"Which way else?"

"Just dancing, without touching each other. Got it!"

"Got it. Why are you being so rude to your friend?"

"I don´t trust you, that´s all."

Morgan sighed. "You´re right, Nancy Drew." He smiled. "Okay, I´m going to be honest. I´ve seen the two of you. Outside the pub under the big tree on the pavement."

Marti immediately stopped dancing and felt that sudden heat in her body rose from head to toes. What to answer to that opening? She actually had no idea and so Morgan tried to help her out.

"Relax, you´re safe." He said quietly. "I just wanted you to understand that Alice is trying to spy on you."

"I know that..." Marti murmured. "So did you."

"Yeah. Listen... What I´ve seen outside has totally changed my point of view. I thought of some dirty sexual affair between the two of you, but..." He paused in speechlessness. "What happened instead seemed really epic to me. You and him together... There was so much longing in your faces. Think, it must be love, right?"

Marti couldn´t believe what she had heard. "You´ve observed us?" She whispered, being still in a state of shock.

"I told you I want to reveal your secrets and I did. Only it´s not as exciting as considered. Or even more. I don´t know what to say, Marti... Are you sure that you wanted that to happen?"

She was lost for words and remained silent, still looking at him in fear. Their lives lying in his hands.

Morgan nodded. "Okay, you don´t want to talk about it. I understand that, perhaps it´s too private. But listen... I´m your friend. You can count on me. So, if you want to leave the pub let me come with you. Alice won´t think of some teacher on your mind if we leave together, don´t you think so?"

"Can I trust you?" Marti whispered. She was completely out of control and started trembling all over again.

Morgan smiled friendly. "Scout´s honor." He swore.

She looked at him in some kind of certain amusement and tried to smile herself, but didn´t quite succeed. "You were a scout?"

"I still am. You remain one forever." Morgan held up three fingers to swear again. "Always trust a scout."

Marti gave him a wry look. "Think I have to... But he´s a counselor, don´t forget that. You´ll be in big trouble, if you´re planning to betray us."

"Come on, Marti! Have I ever disappointed you?" Morgan really got upset by her speculating about him trying to betray them.

"No, you haven´t. This is not a simple student's game, you know? It´s Julian´s and my life that you´re playing with."

"Noticed. Come on, the two of you certainly have an appointment later on, don´t you? Don´t let the counselor wait, first rule at court." He smirked and took her hand.

Marti couldn´t help laughing about his keen sense of humor and nodded, waiting for him to accompany her to Julian´s home. Morgan smiled once more, put his arm around her shoulder and they went out of the pub without being followed by anyone. But Alice noticed them leaving together, walking arm in arm and kidding. They had to grin about her surprised face the whole way to Julian's house.

"She seemed disappointed, didn´t she?" Marti said kind of amused.

"Hell yeah! I hate that girl, you know? She´s quite arrogant. I asked her to dance to protect you and she handled it as if I were a goddamned annoying bug!"

"I´m sorry for you. Most of the time she´s not nice. Jake is the right guy for her, I think. They deserve each other. Both of them are self-serving pricks."

"Wohoooo! Maybe you´re right. But _you´re_ definitely not. What you did for Travis – I really take my hat off to you."

"Thank you... The two of us build a perfect team, don´t you think so?"

"Hopefully, yeah. May I ask you a personal question?"

"Let´s see whether I´m going to answer..."

"Okay... It´s because of the Professor – is he a good... lover?" Morgan murmured. He obviously knew well that he shouldn´t ask those things, but he was curious like hell.

Marti just stopped breathing. "No comment." She answered without being really angry.

"So he is. I thought so. He must be. I mean, you´re in love with him. You wouldn´t be together with him if he..."

"Morgan! I´m not such a primitive asshole! We have much more in common than sex and he´s a really romantic guy. Never do this to me again or I´m going to punch you right into your balls! Got it?" She got more and more angry about his conclusions. "By the way, here it is. His house. You can leave now."

Morgan looked around and found nobody dangerous next to them. "Okay. I got it. Have to protect my balls." He laughed. "Just kidding! You´re safe. And I didn´t want to upset you. It´s just that... I´m envious, you know?" He smiled, blushing all over. "Good night, princess. See you tomorrow."

"Sleep well... And... Morgan? Thank you... I really appreciate being your friend."

He left her with a smile on his face and she closed her eyes for a while, took a deep breath and finally rang the bell.

o o o o o o o o o o o

"Your son-in-law to-be is willing to support me to claim for damages. Maybe I´m moving out after having been paid some compensation." Travis said, looking seriously at Wanda behind the bar.

"My WHAT?" She screamed without taking care of the guests at the pub.

"Your son-in-law to-be. Julian. Didn´t you recognize?"

"Julian who? Don´t tell me that Marti and her... Oh my God, I need to sit down!" Wanda gasped for breath all of a sudden and sat down on some small stool, looking at her roomer in disbelief.

"You must have been blind!" Travis laughed out loud. "Remember them that night they had to set me free? Those glances when we were sitting together, playing the Redemption Song?"

Wanda sighed and stood up again. "Are you sure about that? I mean, this is really serious."

"I´m old enough to face the truth. And I tell you, there is fire whenever they meet. Go and ask her!" He grinned, totally convinced of his notion.

"Where the fuck is Dan to solve her problems?" Wanda pleaded for her favorite son-in-law to-be. "I always told him she would get in trouble some time and he didn´t want to hear it! A damned Professor, my God! Okay, he´s good looking and wealthy, too, but he´s definitely too old for my little girl!"

"Come on, Wanda! We live in the year 2011, it´s no problem for them being together, I think, especially because of the fact that he´s a counselor." Travis gave her a dirty laugh again. "By the way – he´s not _that_ old or does that mean, I´m old, too?"

Wanda looked at him wide-eyed and really furious. "Males! That´s why I still live alone! Always having young blondes on their mind! Go get outta here!" She left to the toilet and Travis smirked contentedly.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 15.04.11

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Next: _Confidence and lies..._


	6. Confidence and Lies

A new chapter just in time before the next episode on TV will air!

As you all know, I´m a little scared about the fantasy of CW´s writers, but we´ll see what they have been created for us soon...

Thank you very much for reading and reviewing the last chapter, I really DO appreciate it!

Would be nice to get some of the native speakers, too ^^

Let´s start for today!

Hope you enjoy it...

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

_ "Sleep well... __And... Morgan? __Thank you... I really appreciate being your friend."_

_He left her with a smile on his face and she closed her eyes for a while, took a deep breath and finally rang the bell. _

**~ 5 ~**

_Confidence an lies_

"Finally..." Julian said, moving her quickly inside his house. "It´s crazy, but I´m totally out of control without you by my side... Not knowing if you´re fine and healthy..."

"I´m here, and I´m fine." She kissed him in affection, put her arms around his neck and sighed. "Morgan knows. He was backing me, too." Marti looked into his eyes with love.

His lips touched hers again, emitting a stifled moan. They stumbled into the living-room, dumped down together on the couch, desperately kissing again. Full of longing and experienced loneliness. For about ten minutes they didn´t talk at all, just holding each other, feeling their bodies communicate and getting together as one. Then Julian finally started the conversation.

"I thought I´d make it, but... It´s really hard..."

Marti put her forefinger on his lips and smiled. "Shhhh... I know exactly how you feel. This is like having to steal some private moments to be together and I don´t like it at all. Love can never be wrong, can it?"

"Sometimes it obviously can." He stole another kiss from her lips. "But we have to find a way which is not that difficult to handle."

"Impossible."

"How about telling the truth?"

"And what about your professorship?"

"I´m going to deal with it. They can´t fire me because of being in love. Sounds naive but you´re old enough, you changed class and we´re not married to someone else."

Marti´s eyes were sparkling at the moment he said that. "Just too good to be true. Think it over!" She answered rationally.

Julian sighed in desperation. "I feel like throwing up!"

"Me too. We´re going to sit it out. We have to." She softly kissed him, let her tongue fondly slip into his mouth and made him moan in agitation once more.

They changed place, went into his bedroom and made love like some kind of confession to themselves. Before falling asleep, Marti cuddled up to him and listened to his steady heartbeat. The most wonderful sound to fall asleep with she could ever have imagined. Julian himself was lying awake much longer. Thinking about this cruel stand-off. Dreaming of being together with her in public. Kissing her in front of everyone and holding hands wherever they may be. Just living their lives without limitation. He has never been more frustrated since Ally´s death. The fact that he was a counselor wasn´t really helpful, too, and that made him angry once more. They did everything to avoid some bad reactions or consequences and had to hold their fire though. He didn´t want to wait. Because of no one and for nothing. Maybe the fellow students and colleagues would backbite them, but who cares? They would only see that he were damned happy with Marti and vice versa.

Julian listened to her steady breath and sighed once more in romantic love for her. Her head lying upon his breast, her lovely fingers on his belly, she was breathing on his naked skin and Julian felt so precious himself, more than ever over the last five years, when no one was there to tell him, that he´s been loved, no matter what happened to Ally. He gave her a tender kiss on the temple and finally closed his eyes to sleep.

The next morning they slept until 10 a.m. When Marti woke up, Julian was already in the kitchen, making breakfast for the two of them. She sprawled and stifled a yawn, looking through the door of his bedroom. Julian made some noise downstairs in the kitchen by clattering with the dishes and Marti smirked once more about the fact of suddenly having so much luck in her life. She was damned happy and full of optimism. When Julian came back, carrying a tray with their breakfast on it, she gave him a big smile together with a good morning kiss. He sat down beside her, wearing just his pajama pants, and put the tray carefully between them.

"I love waking up together with you." He whispered. "You look like an angel..."

"No, I don´t. But I appreciate you paying me a compliment."

"No compliment. Only the truth." He got her a cup of coffee.

Marti was just getting blown away. "I still can´t believe it... I mean, that I´m here with you, telling me all those wonderful things. You make me feel special and that´s really a gift."

"Good that you´re just talking about gifts. I got you something." He said mystical and gave her a plate with a triangular napkin, a chocolate candy and a red rose lying upon it.

Marti smiled and tried the candy. "Tastes good... Where did you get that flower so early in the morning? I´m impressed, dude."

"I can keep a secret." He answered embarrassed. "That´s what a garden behind the house is for, isn´t it?"

The young woman nodded and took the napkin off the plate to put one of the toasts on it. Suddenly she stared at it, as if she had seen a ghost. There had been another present under the napkin. "Julian..." She stammered, looking at him in total surprise.

"I thought of making it easier for us. Feel free to use it whenever you want to."

Marti´s heart opened once more and she took the key carefully in her hand. "I don´t know what to say to that..." She murmured, her eyes sparkling like a star. "Thank you..."

"I want you to be here anytime you need space or we have kind of a date. My home will be your home. You´re no longer a guest, you´re my steady. Is that okay for you?"

She just put the plate away and flung her arms around his neck. "You´re just too good to be true! Have I ever told you that I love you?"

"I can´t get enough of hearing it." He whispered and kissed her on her earlap. "This all happens so fast, I just fear sometimes..."

Marti kissed his cheek and looked encouraging into his eyes. "Me**,** too. But as long as we both agree with it, it´ll be okay for me. Who said that it has to take time to know what you feel for one another?"

He uncurled a whisp of hair and put it behind her ear. "Society and experience. Let´s just say that the exception proves the rule. I truly hope so." Julian murmured, stroking tenderly with his finger over her lips. "You´re so damned beautiful..."

"You don´t expect me to be here every night, do you? I can´t because of the Hellcats. As is the rule we live together as team, you know that."

Julian smiled head over heels in love. "Yeah. I´m not a teenager anymore. Even if I feel like one these days." He got her a toast and held it to her mouth. "Would you mind being more relaxed? I feel kind of young beside you sometimes..."

She laughed out loud and took a bite of the toast. "You _are_ kind of young, didn´t you know? I´ve never thought of some old pervert to invite me to his home some day."

Julian knocked her over and began to tickle her, still laughing about her glibly answer. "God, I can´t wait to see you pleading in court some day! You´re not only intelligent, you´re damned funny, too!"

"Stop tickling me!" Marti screamed, giggling like hell. "I´m about to lose some wee-wee!"

He immediately stopped. "Really?"

„Yeah, really! Let´s eat, I´m hungry!" Marti changed topic, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"So am I." He suddenly pressed his lips on hers, struggling with his feelings for her instead of letting her eat.

Marti sighed in affection, he had already won. Who´s in need of food when having the chance to make love instead? They packed away the tray and put breakfast off. Making love was way too important this time than forego the opportunity. Julian tried to let her see his heart once more and she did the same to him. After having had sex and finally breakfast, too, they took a shower together for the first time and Marti enjoyed the nearness under the pattering water. She was really wondering how he could look so very young. His skin without any wrinkles, feeling so soft like that one of a peach. While using the towel**,** she asked him the million dollar question.

"How old are you really?"

Julian smirked and slapped her on the naked ass with his towel.

"Ouch!" Marti stood with her hand on the hips. "Don´t you want me to know?"

"Sure, I do. Guess!" He rose his eyebrow.

"That´s not fair!"

"Okay. Why were you asking right now?" He put the towel around his hips, smirking.

She didn´t know what to say to that and blushed. "Well..." She stammered. "You look quite young, you know?"

Julian smiled and put his arms around her. "Let´s sum up. I´ve got that sweet honeysuckle southern accent, I look quite young – anything else I forgot?"

"Yeah! Your brainpower, you´ve got a big heart and you´re fighting for justice. Enough?"

He shook his head in amusement. "You shouldn´t set me on a pedestal, honey! Think I have to get you down on earth somehow. I´m thirty-six. What about you?"

"Guess!" Marti smirked herself. She was happy like hell, because of him being not _that_ old.

"Twenty-two?"

"In two weeks. There are only about fourteen years between us. Not that much, I think. Right?"

"Did you worry about that before?"

"A bit, didn´t you either?"

"A lot!" He laughed gladly. "But you´re right, it isn´t that much. What about your mom, will she accept me?"

"Good question... I don´t know. But who cares? _I_ will have to deal with it, she won´t."

"Does she already know?"

"No. I´m going to tell her later."

"Later?"

"When everybody may know."

"What´s that good for?"

"She gets drunk sometimes and doesn´t know neither _what_ nor _whom_ she´s telling some secret."

Julian suddenly realized. "Baby, I had no idea what you had to go through..." They got out of the bathroom and he embraced her again.

Marti nearly toreup because of thinking of the hard times she had to stand in the past. "There´s still one question left." She stammered. "I don´t know my dad. It´s all because of him, she says. And she first didn´´t tell me anything about him. Instead of me she told Travis. I thought he was dead, but he probably isn´t. We talked again. God, I´ve been so angry about that!" She was hopping mad. "He was a musician. And a drug addict. My dad, he once wrote a song, you know? I finally found it among the things my mum has stored..."

"You must have gotten your talent from him, I see..."

"Are you able to help me locating him?"

Julian buried his nose in her wet curly hair. "Sure, I am. But not without the permission of your mum. I have to talk to her first. You´re quite young and I don´t want you to be disappointed."

"She won´t let you."

"We´ll see. Maybe she tells the truth to me?"

"Maybe... We should use Travis." Marti smiled with watered eyes. "He´s got a crush on her, I bet."

The rest of the Sunday they talked about the case and how to help their client. Morgan's point of view was really good and they tried to organize it like he had proposed. Even if Marti didn´t tell him what they both were planning on doing for not getting him angry again. He would have stopped them immediately.

For lunch they didn´t go out, but cooked themselves an opulent meal and had a lot of fun together in the kitchen. Julian was really impressed by her knowledge of cooking. Since he has lived alone he has gathered very much information about how to cook like a star chef. The only expedient activity when you´re alone at home, when there´s no one to talk to and you don´t want to go crazy. He bought like a million cookbooks and put in order the most tasty recipes in a separate ring binder. When Marti asked whether he has ever invited some women to cook for them, he just smiled and said he would have tried, but there was no perfect lady, he would have liked to be guest in his home. Another reason for loving him to death, she thought herself and kissed him softly on his lips.

At around six p.m. she left him for practicingwith the Hellcats. They won´t meet again before next Friday, only for discussing the case together with Morgan. Marti would have to do sectionals and secret investigation and he would have to do his lessons at Lancer and appearances at court, even helping Travis to claim for damages.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

While Julian had some interesting appointments with Travis because of him claiming for damages, Marti just worked hard on his case, tried to find out some special happenings together with Morgan and practiced harder than ever for sectionals. They nearly got caught while breaking into a witness´office at the local parish. But they finally found what they´re were searching for: evidence.

Alice watched her every single minute and Savannah tried to get her out of Marti´s environment. Even Dan began to wonder about that secret friendship they suddenly have been sharing and was just waiting for the right moment to talk to her in private.

"May I ask you a personal question?" He asked her in front of the main entrance to Lancer University.

"Dan! Hi. What´s the problem? I´m late for my appointment with Morgan. So hurry!"

"Okay. Let´s get to the point! What about Savannah and you being so close the last time?"

"She´s my friend. Boy, have you gone crazy?"

"There´s something going on between the two of you. Communication with your eyes, whispering more often and no arguing at all. That´s really weird. She didn´t want to believe you failed that exam about three weeks ago when you were crying the whole day through. Is she right? Did you lie to me?"

Marti sighed irritated by his suspicion. "Can we discuss that later, please? I´m really late."

"So you _did_. Thought we could tell everything to each other..."

"Later, okay? Meet me at the campus pub at about seven o´clock. I´ll be there." She answered and got on her bike, winking and riding away immediately.

Dan couldn´t believe what she just did. Never before she has rebuffed him without any explanation. And she looked really guilty. Way too guilty.

When he entered the campus pub a few hours later, Marti hasn´t been there yet. He sat at the bar and ordered a beer. Wanda tried to entertain him like she always did, but Dan had no patience anymore.

"You know what´s going on with her, right?" He assessed, watching Marti´s mum curiously.

Wanda sighed. She hasn´t talked to her daughter about her probably affair yet. There hadn´t been any chance. "What the hell are you talking about?"

„Marti. What´s her secret? I know that you know. So, tell me, please."

"There´s something I should know about? Sounds not good..." Wanda answered carefully, cleaning the counter professionally.

"Okay. I got it. You don´t want to tell me her secret. That´s okay, really. I understand that. It´s just that I thought... I thought you like me. You wanted us to marry, remember?" His voice was soft and he sounded just like a perfect son-in-law to-be should talk to his future mother-in-law.

"Dan?" Wanda smirked. "Are you a pre-law student? If not, you should try to change class. It´ll fit perfect on you." She went away, shaking her hips sexier than ever before.

"Shit!" The young man shook his head cursing. Looking at his beer, wondering what could be so secret that no one was willing to tell him the truth about.

Just in time, Marticame in together with Morgan, laughing about some jokes about the latest news in Julian´s law class. One student actually had puked over the professor´s shoes when they were visiting some public trial. He hadn´t been very amused, Morgan remarked giggling.

"There she is! Finally!" Dan turned around on his barstool and watched his friend with curious eyes. "What´s _he_ doing here?" He pointed on Morgan.

"Don´t worry, I´m already gone!" Morgan said, rolling eyes. He left the Hellcat and her angry friend for some other students to talk to.

When Morgan was far away enough Marti battered one hand on the counter. "I don´t like you to be kind of rude to my friends. Who do you think you are?"

"I´m Dan, your best friend. And that curly haired dumb-ass _does_ know you better than me by now!" He complained turning back to his beer, pouting.

"Listen, Dan! I´m not your lover, you don´t have to know everything about me! Go and stalk Savannah, for heaven´s sake!"

"So, Morgan must be your lover ´cause he knows. Right?"

"What if?"

Dan turned pale immediately. He´d never thought of Marti dating such a boring boyfriend. It must be serious thus. "Do you mean it?" He stammered.

"He´s nice and smart. I love curly black hair, didn´t you know? So, I´m dating Morgan, anything else you want me to confess?"

"It must be love though." Dan murmured. He was still in shock about her being in love again. Not to mention the boring guy who seems to have won her heart.

"It is. I have to join him now. We´re not dating to be with someone else instead. See you!" She left the bar and went to Morgan, put her arms around his shoulders and kissed him spontaneously on the cheek when he turned around his head in disbelief.

"Wohooo!" He stammered. "What´s that for?"

"Back me, dude! I told Dan you´re my man! Now go and show them what you´re able to!"

Morgan grinned in amusement and took the opportunity by kissing her like only lovers would do. Her lips felt warm and soft and he suddenly knew what Julian made go crazy about her. Marti didn´t enjoy acting like Morgan´s girlfriend, but she had to deal with it.

"Caught in the act..." Morgan murmured, suddenly letting her go. He had noticed Julian entering the pub. „He saw us. Don´t turn around, okay?"

Marti´s heartbeat rose in seconds. She was nearly tearing up. "What does he do? Tell me, please!"

"He nodded restrained I think. Now he´s talking to Travis behind the bar. Relax, he doesn´t suspect us to be cheating on him, okay? I mean, do you really think me competing with him? I´m not stupid, you know? And he isn´t, too." Morgan whispered in her ear, holding her tight and stroking down her spine to make it look more real for Dan.

"Let´s hope so, by goodness!" She stayed by Morgan and his friends, letting them telling jokes about their relationship and watching Morgan grow at least one inch by feeling proud of her being regarded as his steady from now on.

©Mrs. NiG

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Next: Julian will talk to Wanda... ^^

Happy Easter to everyone!


	7. Jealousy

Hi there all over the world!

Since last Wednesday there have been many (!) more hits and visitors on my story than before.

Maybe it´s because of episode 119? I really don´t know.

But _what_ I know is that there´s one thing the whole world has in common: Reading without writing reviews. The one and only thing we all seem to agree with. Isn´t that fabulous? Whether we´re white or black, Catholic or Jewish or even Islamic (etc.), gay or straight – good to know that all of us just like to consume for free. Don´t get me wrong, I don´t want to complain about that fact, I´m really happy that we finally found something to unite!

"If _I_ was a social scientist instead of a cytology assistant (and author of some stupid ffs/ofs), there´s one thing I´d like to research." – look above! ;-)

So – THANK YOU very much for reading and paying attention! I LOVE you all – but I really would ADORE you in case of some given feedback to any chapter, you know?

Well, have fun with the new chap now * wink *

And DON´T steal anything! * lol *

**By the way – I wrote that about three weeks ago, just wanted to point out that I´m not writing after watching some previews or any other stuff of the show ^^ It´s my very own fantasy (except names).**

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 6 ~**

_Jealousy_

Meanwhile Julian talked to Travis about the re-opening of his case and when Dan finally left the bar, he ordered himself a beer. Wanda came over and looked him in the eye. He suddenly realized that she must already know. His hands were trembling like hell when asking her for a private conversation. Wanda nodded, left the bar in Travis´ hands and went off to a table in a silent corner.

"Sit down, please!" She said quietly.

"It´s not about Travis, it´s about Marti." Julian began carefully.

"I thought so. It´s not right, you know that."

Julian didn´t enlarge on her declaration. "She wants me to locate her dad."

"She wants you to do _what_?" Wanda screamed, nearly falling of the chair.

"I said I wouldn´t do it without your permission. That´s what I´m here for tonight."

That wasn´t what she´d expected him to talk about and so she really had no words for a few minutes. Her daughter had always been kind of persistent, but this time Wanda was really surprised about her way to get what she wanted.

"You can´t do this." She answered shaking all over.

"Why not?"

"I don´t want you to."

"Why not?"

"Are you a parrot?" She was kidding in real fear.

"Why not?" He repeated like some persistent talking bird.

"You definitely are."

"Wanda? _Why_ not?" His eyes watched her intensely, getting more and more nervous.

"I don´t know you, so why the hell should I tell you something about my personal background? Huh?"

"You tell me about yours, I tell you about mine. Deal?"

Wanda sat there in total surprise. This man obviously wanted to drive her crazy. "I don´t get it. Why should I do this?"

"To make your little girl happy."

"So, now she´s a little girl in your eyes again?" She countered.

"She´s always been. Deal?"

"You´re a couple, aren´t you?"

"I´m still waiting for your answer."

"So do I.."

Julian suddenly thought of wanting to go to jail for murder, but he appreciated her persistence, too. "What are we talking about, Wanda? Finding Marti´s dad or your suspicion of me having a dirty affair with your daughter?"

"Maybe both?"

"First of all, we´re not having a dirty affair, not even an affair. It´s your turn."

"So... What do you call it a professor having sex with his student? Physical pleasure?"

Julian battered on the table in sudden agitation. "Wanda!" He snubbed her. "We´re two grown-ups, aren´t we? I expect you to reason, got it!"

She winced at him reacting so rude. "I´m acting reasonably. You can´t locate Marti´s dad. That´s a fact."

"Because he´s dead?"

"No, he´s not. I told her so, but she knows already that _maybe_ he´s not."

"Okay, go on..."

"Do we still have this deal?"

"Sure."

"He´s in jail."

Julian sighed. He nearly had expected something like that. "For what reason? Drug dealing?"

"Murder."

"Okay... That´ll be really difficult as far as I can see."

"It´s your turn, professor!" Wanda smirked. "The deal, remember?"

"First I want to know if you allow me to take a look at your husband**'**s case."

"Feel free to investigate. He´s guilty. And you´ll see that it´ll be better Marti doesn´t know all about that terrible murder."

"Okay, that´ll be my decision then. Tell me his name and date of birth, please."

"Your personal background in exchange to his name."

"Now I know from whom Marti got her talent for pleading." He paused. "Look, I´m divorced for about three years now because I had to look after my little girl and didn´t succeed.. She fell into the pool and drowned." His hands still began to tremble whenever he told the story of his life.

Eyes wide open, Wanda had to hold her breath. "I´m so sorry..." She stammered. "I don´t know what to say to that..." Suddenly she remembered Marti´s question about what present she should take to the cemetery. It must have been Julian´s little daughter who had her seventh birthday.

"His name?" Julian took a sip of his beer and Wanda watched his trembling fingers.

"Rex Perkins. Born on November 10th in 1964."

"Thank you."

"Do you love her?"

"I do."

"I trust you. Don´t tell her about her dad, it´s way too cruel for a young girl her age."

"I´ve come to you, haven´t I?" He murmured, still shaking all over. "She means everything to me. Be sure that I won´t let anybody hurt her."

"There´s one more thing... Marti didn´t realize me knowing about the two of you."

"So, who got you the information?" Julian asked hectically.

"Travis presumed there must be something going on between you and her. You have to be more careful, son-in-law to-be!"

Julian´s corners of the mouth quivered for just one second. "Mr. Guthrie´s vocabulary seems to be kind of futuristic, doesn´t it?"

"Maybe...?" Wanda smiled for the first time during this conversation.

"Have to go now. Thank you for talking to me that openly. I´ll be careful, I promise. With both of them, Marti _and_ the facts revealing about her dad."

Wanda smiled a second time, laying her hand upon Julian´s on the table. „You´re a good guy."

"I´m a lawyer, it´s mandatory."

He left the café without looking at Marti again. There still was the opportunity to call her on the phone later. The first thing he did was writing down the name and date of birth of her dad. The second thought was about her kissing that damned Harry Potter! He was jealous as hell. And the way Morgan looked at him for just one second didn´t even make it easier. He tried to pick on him for sure. It worked. It worked really well. His stomach told him to forget about it, but he wasn´t able to. So he felt really bad being back home again and decided to pick up the phone to do himself a favor.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Stop it!" Marti shouted at Morgan, standing outside the campus pub, being hugged by him too tight again. "Nobody´s here watching us right now!"

Morgan grinned. "It´s been worth a try!"

She rolled her eyes. "I really thank you for playing that awful game. Listen, Dan made me so angry, I couldn´t help lying to him."

"Well, you´re a nice girl, looking not that bad – no, let me be honest, you look fantastic – and your kisses are... Wohoooooo!" He remarked smirking. Still being totally excited about his lips having been touched by hers. "I mean..."

"Oh my goodness! Shut up Harry Potter! You make me feel really ashamed. But don´t think of any future growth of my feelings for you! Nancy Drew`s out! Got it!"

Morgan laughed although he felt hurt emotionally. "Hell, ya! Julian must be in heaven... I hope he knows exactly what he´s got. So, if _not_, I´m going to break his nose! Got it, too?"

"You´re willing to protect me? That´s kinda cool...! But you know he won´t disappoint me, don´t you? He´s not a teenage anymore, he knows exactly what he wants."

"And he wants _you _– I got it. Well, who could blame him for that?" Morgan sighed. "Don´t worry, Marti. I´m not crazy. It´s just that I like you. A lot..."

"As if we didn´t know... Listen, I have to go now, will you walk me home, please?"

"Sure I do. Not because of Dan or Alice or whoever the fuck else. It´s because I care about you."

"Thanks, Potter... You´re a true friend. And I care about you, too..." She took his arm and they left the campus, talking about Julian´s latest case and their progress in investigating. The professor didn´t want them to do dangerous spying anymore and Marti definitely didn´t want to follow this rule. Morgan tried to talk her out of that, but he had no chance at all. She seemed like a bloodhound smelling his favorite fluid...

"Okay, you won! I won´t tell him what we´re planning. But you´re really crazy, Nancy Drew! This could be really dangerous, you know?"

"And exciting, too. Don´t you want to change how things are going? I want to change the world, make it a little better." Marti smiled, hoping on his understanding. Julian tried the same when he was her age and she always admired him for this attitude. Suddenly her cell phone rang and she looked at the display. "It´s him, I have to accept the call..." She said to Morgan. "Hi, Julian..." Her voice immediately turned softly when answering the phone.

"Marti, where are you right now?" Julian just got to the point. He had to deal with thinking of her being still together with that black curly-haired teenage dream.

"On my way home. Why?" She turned away from Morgan, blushing.

"Alone?"

"No, Morgan´s with me. He walks me home because it´s late."

Julian clenched his teeth in jealousy. He hated himself for that reaction, but couldn´t help going on with it. "Did you recognize me talking to your mum at the café? She´s okay with me locating your dad."

"Really? How did you do that! Oh my goodness! I´m just shaking all over..."

"She was kind of cooperative. But I had to promise her not to let anybody hurt you."

"O-kaaay...? What does that mean in particular?"

Julian thought of being honest to her. "It´s my turn to decide whether you should know more about your dad or not."

"Fuck! I´m not your little kid, you know! I´m already adult!" Marti answered being offended. "I have a right to know everything about him!" She nearly tore up. Morgan touched her carefully on her back and tried to calm her down this way. She just whispered to him to stay out of it.

"Yes, you have the right to know all about him." Julian answered. "But maybe it´ll do no good, believe me, I´ve seen too many families breaking up on hidden secrets being suddenly revealed."

"You´re pathetic! We´ll see... Did you talk to Travis, too?"

„Not too much. But I saw _you_..."

"Really?"

"You kissed him." Julian murmured.

Marti smiled about his notification. "I had to, he´s my official boyfriend." She said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Didn´t you know that?"

"You´re kidding, right?" He sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace and got pale all over. Ridiculous, he told himself.

"No, I´m not kidding."

"You´re not...?"

They just stood in front of his house and Marti decided to let him in suspense. She took out the key and showed it to Morgan who nearly fainted therefore.

"We´re together. I never kiss anybody without a reason, you know?" She spoke into the phone, opened the door silently, giving Morgan a short goodbye and thank you hug. He left her, shaking his head in disbelief because of Julian having given her the key to his house.

"Marti, you´re joking, I know. Maybe I´m old, but I´m not stupid. You like me getting jealous, right? And just to make it clear – you did it!" He hung up immediately, clenching his teeth again.

Marti closed the door, smiling all over. He sounded so sweet when being totally enraged. She sneaked off to the living-room and held her ear onto the double-winged wooden room door. There was no noise at all. But she had heard the sound of the gong of the long case clock on the phone, so he must have been in the living-room when talking to her. Carefully she opened the door and went in. He sat on the couch, his head lying on the backrest, not even having been noticing her coming in. Marti carefully went towards him and suddenly put her arms around his neck from behind. She really made him start.

"Oh my fucking god! Marti? What the hell...?" He stumbled, turning his head around quickly and watching her with eyes wide open. His heart beating like a drum.

"... am I doing here instead of being with Morgan?" She interrupted him, smiling and circling the couch, kneeling right over his lap and stroking his cheek with sparkling eyes. "Don't ya still know that, yet, professor?" She didn´t let him answer and kissed him passionately on the lips instead.

Julian embraced her with all of his hunger and tried to make himself unforgettable once more. There were no words for what he felt at that moment, feeling her so close and sexy all over. Even though he knew that she was kidding before, he felt awful and hurt. The more she used her tongue, the more he got wild. They undressed their upper parts of the body in a real hurry without stopping to kiss, gasping in agitation. Marti opened his zipper of the jeans, watching him moan when tearing out his erection with her warm hand. Julian rummaged around in his trouser pocket, searching excitedly for a condom. Latterly he carried one along wherever he had been going.

"Where the heck...?" He murmured. "Got it!" With a big smile on his face he handed her the so-called safety net to slip it over his hard-on. "You´re good at it." He remarked, smiling once more.

Marti only wanted to position it as fast as possible because she couldn´t wait any longer feeling him inside of her body. "Better I´ll do it quickly." She smirked and enjoyed Julian moaning the moment she touched him.

"Only a hellcat wears a skirt at the right moment." He stumbled gasping, letting his hand get hectically under her dress to stash the panties away.

She positioned herself above his crotch and let him enter her rapidly, moaning herself in pleasure. His lips kissing her nipples, his tongue touching her all over while she buried her nose in his hair, embracing him and finally slipping rhythmically up and down his penis.

"How – could – you – ever – think – I´d – prefer – Potter?" She stammered snatchy, gasping right next to his open mouth.

Julian growned with effort. "He´s – young – and – quite – sexy. Just – perfect – for – you."

"Shut – up! You´re – more – man – he – could – ever be!" Marti answered and came right after her statement, screaming full of relish.

Julian followed her right away, burying his fingers in her curly blond hair. It felt so damned right. Warm and secure – simply unique. They stayed breathless in a deep embrace, kissing softly and stroking themselves tenderly all over. The best side of their relationship – not to have the wish to flee immediately from each other after having had sex together.

"Time for truth. What about my dad that you don´t want me to know?" Marti suddenly whispered in his ear, hugging him stronger even more.

Julian got frightened by that question. In his opinion, to love her and not to be honest with her at the same time was definitely not right. "Please don´t do that to me, Marti. I promised your mum."

She kissed him time and again, letting her tongue show him some tenderness anew. "I´m a grown-up, Julian. Believe me, I won´t break on any information, you know?"

"Fuck! I missed to call my client once more!" He remembered by noticing her as a grown-up, suddenly changing topic. "Why didn´t you stop me...?"

Marti opened her eyes in surprise and got off of his crotch, sitting next to him on the couch. "Stop you from having sex with me?" She laughed out loud and cuddled up to him. "No way!"

Julian sighed, removing the condom by actually letting it fall on the floor and closed his zipper. "I know. I´m sorry, honey..." He took her hand, stroking it lovingly. "It´s my own fault. I´m the senior of the two of us. The counselor. And I definitely should be able to control myself. To stay reasonable and hard working though." Julian ran his fingers through her hair, looking deep into her eyes. "It´s just... I´ve never felt so jealous before..."

"And that´s the reason why you`ve neglected your duty?"

"Seems like... I´ve lost myself in romance."

"I like that, you know?" Marti whispered in his ear, smiling all over. "Julian? Why didn´t you bin the condom? I mean..." She asked quietly, looking disgustedly on the floor.

"You once told me not to run away after we have had sex. I thought it would be more comfortable for you. Why are _you_ so captious all of a sudden?"

"I´m not captious. I´m just nauseated by that kind of behavior. I like it clean and tidy."

"You´ve never told me about that..." Julian lifted her chin with his hand, looking deep into her eyes.

Marti smiled. "´Cause I forgot..."

"How could you forget?"

"How could _you _forget your client?" Marti countered. "I only thought about letting you know how much I love you. That I won´t choose Morgan at any time."

Julian sighed once again. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, of course. I shouldn´t have told you that he´s my boyfriend. That was childish and unnecessary. And I kissed him only because of Dan. He wants to reveal my secrets like Morgan did before and I tried to make him believe that I´m dating Potter instead of you..." Marti kissed him softly. This man seemed to suffer from a real heartache and she didn´t know how to ease his pain in a useful way.

Julian hated himself for being so flimsy. "I don´t know what to say... Potter gave me that mischievous glance at the pub. That made me think of punching him right into his face. You have no idea of the feelings I had to fight ever since. It maybe sounds ridiculous, but I´m way too sensible and this goes back a long way with me. Heather, my ex wife, we´ve already met at High School. Once she cheated on me before we got married. I suffered agonies. And I´ve never forgotten this guy's face, I swear."

Marti just realized that Julian had a long unknown personal background. He had _lived_ his life. And she was quite young with no experiences at all. At least not that intense ones. Cheating certainly rang a bell, but she had never felt that hurt. Not the way he did.

"Her name´s Heather? How could you forgive her?"

"Maybe I´m not looking like a serious guy, but I am. She was my first and only love, not my first girlfriend, of course. We had been damned happy until the accident happened."

Marti nodded. "I promise not to cheat on you as long as we´re together. By the way, I´m a serious girl, too. My one and only love once cheated on me, too, and I know exactly how you felt. Only that he abandoned me for that crazy bitch, so I´ve never had the chance to forgive him."

"That´s terrible. How long have you been together?"

"Two years. Quite a long time for a young girl."

"Yeah. Heather and I have been together for fourteen years. She has been my life."

"You did it!"

"Did what?"

"Making me feel jealous as hell."

Julian grinned, prodding with his nose on her cheek. "I´m hungry, what about you?" He felt his stomach rumbling, but it sounded more like thinking of something else...

Marti smiled. "Let´s get something to eat. I love your recipes. Secondary to your other skills..."

Julian stood up, laughing out loud. "We definitely share a common sense of humor. You won´t get rid of me, Marti!" He took the condom off the floor and went away to put it into the trash bin.

"I even don´t want to!" She answered smirking, following him with her eyes.

Marti decided to go to the bathroom herself before starting to cook together with him. They both washed their hands, smiling by getting lost in sweet memories about some hot moments ago. When Marti came back into the kitchen, he just sighed again, staring at her in rapture.

"You´re so beautiful..." He murmured.

"Thanks... And hungry. So, what are we going to rustle up?"

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 30.04.2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o


	8. What a pity!

Welcome to the next chapter of this story!

It´s been a weird week... :P

Thanks for the review, I appreciate every single one ^^

Hope you still enjoy the storyline.

So, let´s start...

o o o o o o o o o o o o

~ 7~

_What a pity!_

Vanessa tried to motivate the girls her own way. Lewis and the guys had done their best to compete with the other contestants but they also had shown a really good performance and so the Hellcats themselves didn´t expect at all to gain a victory again. Marti and Savannah talked about their faults, Alice just looked around angrily and Lewis´ face was looking sadder than ever. Waiting for the decision of the jury was enervating like hell and they knew once more why they´ve been named the _H__ell_cats.

"Why does it take so long?" Alice asked, pouting. "It´s all because of Marti´s almost fall off the pyramid! You should have listened to me! I would have done better!"

Vanessa wanted to answer, but Lewis did before. "It was _my _fault, Alice. I dropped her for a moment. You might blame me, but not Marti, got it!"

"You´ve never let anyone drop!" Alice countered evil. "So don´t come to her defense, okay?"

"I don´t come to her defense, are you crazy, Alice? I said it was my fault and you have to believe me! Whatever´s going on between the two of you, don´t try to make me feel like being a liar!"

Alice herself got more and more enraged. "I just got it, Lewis! Marti always gets away with her faults! What the heck is that about that Blondie not to be as cruel to her as all of you can be to me?" She complained.

Marti thought of interrupting the discussion, but she didn´t want Alice to get focus on her again. Although Savannah gave her a hurtful kick on her back she decided not to react on this offense. Her shackle has already begun to hurt and she really worried about a more complicated physical injury after almost falling down on the floor. When they had asked her if she had been injured or not, she had said it would be okay. That had been a lie. Maybe she could use a cool pack at Julian´s and that´ll be all it needs to make it go away? Hope springs eternal.

"Why don´t you counter?" Savannah was wondering quietly, looking at Marti next to herself. "She´s a real bitch and you just sit here doing nothing?"

"It´s not worth the trouble. Lewis _did_ come to my defense. I lost balance, that´s a fact." Marti whispered to her friend, feeling really guilty in some way. "He couldn´t balance my inaccurate bounce and so it had been forced to happen. It´s because of me that we won´t go for nationals."

"We´re a team, Marti, remember? We have to be there for each other in times of need. Alice still wants to get you out of the squad, you know?"

"Sure, I do. Would you please tell her that I´m going to stay at Morgan´s tonight? I mean in case she wants to know where I am?"

"Of course. Does Morgan know?"

"I´ll give him a call. Slowly but surely, this turns out to be some episode of James Bond, I think." Marti giggled.

Alice turned around furiously. "What´s so funny, bitch? I am right! _You_ are the reason why we won´t go for nationals!" She offended her once more.

"Shut up, Alice!" Vanessa couldn´t let that offense go any further. She had to slow it down immediately to keep the atmosphere in between the squad clean. "You´re not allowed to bully your teammate! Marti did her best and I think the jury won´t decide on any pity failure. This could have happened to anyone of you, keep that in mind, please!"

Instead of talking back to the coach the whole group rested in silence. Even Alice had lost her voice because of being accused of bullying. That kind of vocabulary wasn´t really flattering and she actually felt ashamed of having been so mean to Marti. Right in time the jury was about to announce the winner of the sectionals. Savannah grabbed Marti´s hand and closed her eyes. The blond Hellcat felt her excitement, hoping that they´ll win although she had made that awful mistake.

When the jury finally named the one and only cheerleading squad, Marti even didn´t recognize they really had won. The whole squad seemed to be thrilled. Savannah suddenly hugged her, Lewis kissed her on the cheek, but she still didn´t realize their victory.

"Marti?" Savannah asked carefully. "Haven´t you listened to the jury?"

Lewis just joggled her, smiling all over. "We did it! We really did it, Marti! Please wake up! We need to celebrate!"

"Yeah..." She answered quietly. Her shackle hurt a lot by now. "I just can´t believe it..."

Vanessa came over and gave her a big hug. "Sometimes you have to be lucky, too, Marti. That little accident wasn´t as important as you thought. Besides, the other contestants had some bloopers, too and so... Congratulations guys! We´re going for nationals!"

They all got home save, very tired but full of joy and satisfaction.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Marti hurried to Julian, calling Morgan on her way. He was okay with backing her again. So she entered Julian´s house at about 9 p.m., feeling still really bad because of her shackle. It hurt damned much and she had had some difficulties to ride her bike. The professor sat on the couch, reading in his living-room when she came in to say hello.

"You look sad, honey. Didn´t you succeed?" He remarked, opening his arms to hug her with a warm smile all over his face.

Marti fell next to him on the pillows, snuggled up to his chest and smiled. "We did it. We really did it!"

"So why are you looking so desperate?"

"It´s my shackle. I got hurt up on the pyramid, being lucky not to have fallen ten feet down on the floor."

Julian´s heart stopped beating for one second. He always hated that sport because of its dangerous aspects of flying. "You scared me to death, you know? Now, show me your shackle..."

She lifted her leg and he put it over his thighs. Carefully he took off her sneaker and the sock. In his opinion, it seemed a bit colored. "That looks not good, Marti. It´s kinda blue and already swollen." He tried to touch her, but she immediately cried out in pain. "You have to see a doctor, hon... Looks like a sprain to me. Maybe even the sinew got hurt..."

"It´ll go away, believe me. I just need some kisses and lots of ice on it. Do you have that kind of medicine here at your place?" She smiled, clenching her teeth in real pain.

Julian smirked, raising his eyebrow in disbelief. "We´re going to wait a few hours more and if it gets even more swollen you have to see a doctor for some examination. Deal?"

She had no chance to veto. Not against a counselor. "Deal. So, where´s my medicine?"

His lips felt warm and tender on her shackle and it didn´t even hurt to be kissed by him. Also his fingers touched her so lovingly that she had to hold back her upcoming desire. Julian tried to show his feelings to her again, finally finding his tongue deep in her mouth, fondling her all over. Marti nearly forgot all the pain in her foot and just enjoyed their romantic activities. This wasn´t about to get deeper, it was about to get closer to each other´s heart. They just lay there together, kissing, stroking and talking to one another. It was that kind of familiar smell Julian enjoyed so much when she was with him. An hour later, after having put some ice on her foot for about 30 minutes, he looked at her shackle again.

"Marti, we have to see a doctor, really. Look at your foot! More swollen than before. This isn´t just some little injury. You promised."

She had to agree with him. It obviously was worse than imagined. "Shit! What about nationals? And your case? I mustn´t be injured!"

"Let´s go! Time to face the truth, honey." He helped her off the couch and outside in his car. "Don´t try to use your foot, it might become even worse."

Marti nodded and let him do everything for her. He was kind of caring like a father would have been and she really appreciated him being so worried about her shackle. They arrived at the hospital at about 10:30 p.m. and had to wait at the emergency area. Julian sat down beside her, stroking over her thigh. He was nervous, but didn´t want to show it to her.

"No one will see us together here, you can calm down." Marti whispered towards him. "I´m really sorry for causing so much trouble in your life."

He suddenly turned around his head to face her. "Don´t you ever say this again!" His eyes full of indignation. "You could never cause trouble in my life, Marti. It´s because of you I feel alive again. Whatever may happen to the two of us, I´m going to deal with it! A hundred percent!"

Her fingers crossing his ones, her lips touching his cheek, she tried to apologize for having said those awful things. Once again asking herself for what the hell she deserved him loving her truly, madly, deeply. When Marti finally got to see the doctor, Julian stayed out of the emergency room. But he wished he could be near her to hold her hand or whatever the fuck else. Sitting in the waiting area he got more and more nervous. To stand worrying about someone he loves was not his biggest excellence. The last experience in that case was the day Ally died in the pool, when he tried to revitalize her, breathing in her mouth and nose and giving her a cardiac massage himself. He´ll never forget that minutes in a swivet and in deepest fear of losing her forever. Remembering these awful moments he sat there in real agony, not realizing anything else but the still closed door of emergency room number two.

When Marti finally came out again it took a load off his mind. Hospitals made him going totally nuts since then. "Everything okay, Baby?" He asked like a father would talk to his kid.

Marti looked astonishingly at him. "It´s just my foot, I´m not going to die."

"I know. Sorry... Forget about that comment. You´re with crutches and cast? Is it broken?"

"No, just a heavy strain, like you said before. They decided to immobilize it for about two weeks. I even can´t walk with these lousy _wuddayacallit_? Shit!" She nearly tore up, waving about one of the crutches.

Julian put his arms around her shoulders and kissed her tenderly, sighing happily because of having her back completely and obviously alive. "I´m going to nurse you perfectly. There will be a way to be together, I promise."

"You´re dreaming."

"No, I´m not. Morgan and Savannah will help us. Let´s go home, I want you to be near me, to hold me and to drive me crazy with your lips and more..." Julian kissed her passionately again. "Sounds more like _you_ have to nurse _me_, doesn´t it?" He smirked. "I´m sorry, it´s just that I had to think of Ally while sitting here waiting for you to come out of the ER..."

Marti could see his broken heart in his eyes once more. "Come on, old man, I´m going to show you how to be held tight like you´ve never felt before."

She kissed him back unabashed right there in front of everybody in the waiting area, when suddenly someone came out of emergency room number one, noticing the two of them with eyes wide open. While the secret couple was walking away, holding hands close to each other, Vanessa starred at their backs in disbelief. She felt sick herself and nevertheless couldn´t believe what she had seen. One of her cheerleaders together in a loving embrace with that well-known and really good looking college professor named Julian Parish. She got pale once more.

"Are you alright?" One of the nurses asked her caring, looking at her shaking legs. "Wanna sit down for a moment?"

"It´s okay... I´m not sick, I´m just pregnant." She answered dry. "Good night and thanks for all." Vanessa smirked, thinking of what could be worse – her unexpected pregnancy or Marti´s love affair with a teacher. Her cell phone at the ear, she left the hospital, taking a deep breath outside under the starry sky. "Oh my God! What am I gonna do now?"

o o o o o o o o o o o o

When Marti came back to her dorm at the Hellcats´ the next morning, Alice starred at her crutches like having seen an alien. Everyone was in shock immediately and she just sat down on one of the chairs around the table in front of the kitchen. Savannah helped her with the crutches, still waiting for an explanation.

"Morgan had to take me to the emergency last night. It´ll last for two weeks. Not broken, only a heavy strain. Seems we have to change positions for nationals, ladies..."

"You have to tell Vanessa. This is horrible!" Savannah answered worrying.

"So you´re going to ruin the squad once again. " Alice made digs at her, grinning evil. "Becomes routine sooner or later, don´t you think so?"

"I´m sorry for that, really. But I didn´t expect it to be that bad. Morgan and I have to do our work for law class, too. I´m hardly able to walk with those idiotic stilts! So believe me, Alice, I would have done better if procurable!"

"I´m going to be Lewis´ flyer from now on. Time to face the truth. You´re good at investigation but not at flying, Miss Perkins!" Alice countered with a wide grin on her face, leaving the kitchen by swinging her bag in victory. "I´m off to class, ladies!"

Savannah took Marti into their dorm and shut the door. She wanted to know more about her future plans with Julian. "What´s up now? Are you going to sleep at Julian´s with those crutches?"

"I hope so. We have to find a way to be together sometimes. Not every night, no one would believe Morgan and I spending so much time together." Marti smiled. "He´s a workaholic, you know?"

"Okay. So how are we going to handle that?"

"Julian and I thought of one night together, three nights at the Hellcats´. That´s good for everyone of us. He´ll stay out of the state for a few days, too. I just have to stay one night alone at his home because of some craftsmen building the new winter garden. You have no idea how lovely that house is inside. And the garden is really wonderful! Julian wanted me to have a look at the plans and I was totally transported, I swear! He´s willing to plant some tropic trees inside it, you would love it!"

"You sound as if you´d plan your future home, Marti. Isn´t it too early for something like living together with an all new winter garden?" Savannah asked carefully. She didn´t want to offend her friend. "I mean, you´re not about to marry, are you?"

Marti laughed out loud. She nearly burst into tears over that ridiculous speculation. "Oh my goodness! You´re so funny, Savannah! You just see black and white – there´s definitely no grey for you, right? I´ve never thought about marrying."

"Are you sure? Imagine he would propose to you. What would you say?" Savannah said, sparkling eyes.

Marti paused, being really confused about that question. "Erm... He won´t propose this time."

"But if he did?"

"Would be kind of flattering, that´s true... But I am not ready for marriage. Not yet."

"He proposes with those puppy eyes and I know that he´s got them! Think again!" Savannah purred.

"That´s not fair, Savannah... I mean... You´re right! I don´t know what I would do!" Marti ran her hand over her face, looking kind of confused. "Let´s hope he´ll never come to the idea of proposing in the near future!"

"Like I said. You´re deeper in than ever."

"That really scares me! Maybe I should keep a little more distance between us? Just to not animate him... Good idea?"

Savannah smirked. "Not at all. You should have seen your face when talking about that option. Just be as honest as possible – show him what you feel but don´t make him believe that you´re ready for anything else but living in sin."

"Savannah, please! We´re not living in sin!"

"You do, in my opinion. But I know that´s not up-to-date, so never mind asking for what I am thinking about you going to marry your teacher."

"Let´s go – we´re already late. And thanks for making me think about marriage all the time from now on!" Marti laughed sarcastically, when taking the crutches again, looking really desperate in some way.

Savannah pushed her outside the dorm and they left the house, both thinking about their future and what they were definitely dreaming of.

o o o o o o o o o o o

Julian was on his way to court when his phone rang. He just smiled, taking a look at the display of his cell phone. Suddenly his face was freezing and he decided not to accept the call. Instead of Marti, he had got a call from Heather. The first time after divorce was final she tried to contact him personally. His heart nearly refused to work. Trembling all over he entered the court house and searched for Travis Guthrie in the lobby. His new client sat on one of the couches, reading the latest newspaper.

"Travis? Nice to meet you!" Julian said, offering his hand salutatory. Feeling totally stripped inside.

"Julian... Hey, you´re right in time. Nice to meet you, too."

"Let´s go, it´s always an advantage to be right in time!" He smiled and went on towards the court rooms. "It´ll just take some minutes to file a lawsuit."

"How much do you think am I getting back for damages?" Travis asked, walking quickly beside him through the hallways.

"Depends. I don´t know yet. Keep quiet and don´t move. Judge Reynolds isn´t very flexible. She´s that kind of woman you don´t want to marry, got it?"

Travis grinned all over his face. "What kind of women do you think I´m willing to marry?" He countered.

"Wanda?" Julian smirked, shaking his head.

He got no answer, Travis just swallowed the only reply he would have liked to make. It wasn´t the time to embarrass his attorney at law. But one day he´ll surely let him know what he really thinks.

However, Judge Reynolds did a great job that day. They had to come back in about a month for a new hearing. Julian was contented about how it had been going and took Travis outside the court room as fast as possible.

"You´re lucky, man!" He said to him. "She just nodded and used her gavel. That´s not her usual behavior, believe me!"

"You really know every judge at court house inside and out?" Travis was wondering.

"I do. It´s my job, you know? I have to return to Lancer University now, law class is already waiting."

"Yeah... Miss Perkins in particular." Travis remarked with a big smile on his face.

Julian looked at him in surprise and restrained anger. "Well tit-for-tat response! However, you´re barking up the wrong tree. She´s not my student anymore. Keep up the good work at the campus pub and stop provoking me!" He got through the door out of the court house and left his client without saying goodbye or looking at him once more.

Travis watched him getting in his car, still in shock about Julian´s biting answer. Whatever there was going on between Marti and him, it must have been strong enough not to talk about in public. Wanda told him that Julian actually seemed to be in love with her daughter, but Travis didn´t want to believe it. He had still thought about some dirty affair until now that Julian had been so upset about him joking the same way _he_ did a few minutes before.

On his way home Julian got a second call from Heather and he refused to accept it again. Now that he was in love for new he hadn´t the faintest wish to talk to her again. Time to forget about the past and move on.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 07.05.2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

So, what do you think will be going to happen?

I´m just hoping that CW isn´t about to tell quite the same...


	9. Truth compelling

Hi there again!

Well, I have to tell you something.

The fact that I´m not writing so explicit/detailed sex scenes may be kind of boring for most of the (definitely too young) readers, but now that I´m far beyond some former tries, I feel much better and more comfortable than before. It is not important to get many reviews, it is important to get intelligent reviews with more than just a few words like "Love it" or "Totally hot". Don´t get me wrong, I appreciate every single one even if it´s just one sentence. The point is I´m not writing for the minor and the so-called sex addicts, I´m writing for the romantic ones. For those who know exactly that less can be more. Agree?

**I have to thank the latest reviewers * hugs * , all of the readers and finally those who put my story to their story alerts or favorites !**

Hope you all had a wonderful week, mine was just fantastic in some way ^^

Now, enjoy the chap!

o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 8 ~**

_Truth compelling_

Morgan came over to the Hellcats´ house to work with Marti on their case for Julian. He entered her dorm and Savannah left them alone, smiling all over. It would look more real for Alice and the other girls.

"Hey! How´s your shackle?" Morgan asked caring and sat down on Savannah´s bed. "We´re in big trouble, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Julian won´t let me investigate, even less with those crutches. I thought of someone helping you instead of me?"

"Someone?"

"My mum?"

"Wanda?"

"Right. She knows about Julian and me. He told her. And she would probably do it for her baby."

"Listen... I like your mum, really. But it´s way too dangerous to let her getting involved. I thought of doing it myself with you just in the background to warn me on the cell. It´s my turn now. You already did your parts."

"Are you sure? It´ll be really frightening all alone?"

"Doesn't matter to me. I´m old enough." Morgan smiled. "And I think, I´m going to impress Julian myself this time."

"Are you sure being straight?" Marti giggled and took out her papers to let him take a look at what she already found out.

"A hundred percent! You can call me a workaholic but I´m not interested in men."

Marti winked. "Good to know! I wouldn´t want to share him with you."

"Why not? I´m sharing you with him already." Morgan countered, smirking again.

Marti piped down for a second. "You´re kidding, right?"

"Always the romantic!" He said, shaking his head and smiling though. "Okay. Let´s start working! I got a plan how to get into the office..."

They started discussing a few possibilities to break into the office, searching for real evidence. When they finally had come to a decision, Marti left the house together with him, letting her teammates know that she would not come home that night. Morgan enjoyed their glances and kissed Marti effusively on the cheek, just to make clear that she´s his girlfriend.

He walked her home to Julian´s house and she got in with her personal key, happy as hell whenever she enters his home. Morgan said goodbye, reminding her of their date the following night. Julian already had left for three days and so they would have enough time to investigate.

When Marti closed the door, it felt like coming home. Every room got that special perfume Julian used to wear. Marti was damned happy sleeping here in his bed even if he wasn´t at home. Tomorrow morning the craftsmen would come very early and she would have to control them working the whole day through. Playing hooky included. Julian knew before, but he had no chance to change the fixed date. Marti certainly would miss some important classes, but fortunately no exams.

Wearing his pajama´s shirt and some fleecy socks, she got into his bed with some of her school books and her laptop in addition, trying to do some homework at least. He had promised to call when having checked in to the hotel room. So the blond Hellcat sat down, thinking over her several cases to solve for her new professor, staring mesmerized at her cell phone once in a while. It was really late when she got the call she was waiting for so desperately all the time.

"Are you okay, hon?" He asked caring before saying anything else.

"Now I am. I missed you."

"So did I. Someone said longing intensifies love. I really do hope so." Julian whispered through the phone.

Marti got deeper under the blanket, sighing in wistfulness. "It certainly does. Are you in bed already?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Me too. Are you wearing the pajama pants I told you to?"

"I do."

She smiled. "Okay... I´m wearing the fitting shirt. We can feel each other by touching the fabric..."

"That was your intention by giving me that order?" Julian smirked.

"I wanted you to have something with you that reminds you of me... I knew you´re traveling together with your secretary this time and therefore..." She was at a loss for words.

"You´re so sweet... Have you ever seen my secretary?" Julian had difficulties to hold back the laughter. If she only knew...

"Not at all. Only your professional paralegals at _Three Strikes Central_."

"She´s about fifty-five years old and happily married." He allowed himself to laugh amusedly.

"Is that true?" Marti wanted to know seriously. "I mean, I really do believe you, but..."

"...but I´m just a male and a counselor, too. Yes, it´s true, Marti. You can take a look at my desk at home. There´s a picture of me and her together at court house."

"Thanks for not getting angry about my suspicions... But now you can see that I´m not investigating in your own house when you´re not at home." She smiled. "May I kiss you begging for pardon through the phone?"

Julian whistled appreciative. "You´re forcing me to have some kind of phone sex?" He just loved kidding so much.

"Good idea!" Marti picked up the hint, giggling quietly. "So, tell me, what´s up with little Julian? Already sleeping?"

Julian laughed out loud, looking curiously at his pants. "Not really, hon! Think he´s straightening up right in time."

"My imagination is damned real, dude!" She remarked, clearing her throat. "Listen... I´m not that prude, but in some way I don´t want to depreciate our relationship, do you understand that? It would feel kind of strange to me... Just like that all-thought-dirty-affair."

Julian breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much, Marti! Just what I feel about that option. Apart from that, how would we get longing work for us thus?"

"Absolutely impossible, right! So, let´s change topic..."

"Agreed. Well... Please be careful with the craftsmen tomorrow. I´m really jealous, you know?"

"I hope so!" Marti grinned. "You can trust me, Julian. Muscles and sweaty six-packs don´t impress me at all. Okay, that´s a lie, but I lost my heart to _you _and therefore... I´ll have no eyes for the younger, maybe as good as you looking men, I swear to you."

"I have to say it again: You´re sweet. But you´re young, too, and you need to experience... I´m not that dumb or ignorant, you know? I just wanted you to know what risk you´re taking. I´m not good at forgiving, but... I would try to. Just tell me before you decide to cheat on me, that´s all I´m asking for. Honesty."

Marti was about to burst into tears because of his words and understanding. She´d never heard a more romantic statement before. Her eyes, already filled with tears, just seem to overflow. When she tried to answer her voice got more and more silent. "I´m going to be a lawyer, Julian. I have to be rootedly honest. And I really can´t understand why you suddenly seem so insecure? Thought you know me...?"

He stumbled for a moment. She was right, there was no reason to be doubtful. The only thing that made him thinking about such horrible scenario, were the non stopping calls from Heather of which he had rejected every single one until now. "I DO know you, Marti. And I´m sorry for frustrating you. It´s about this empty hotel room, you know? I miss you so much and my imagination just ran riot. Maybe because of three years of loneliness and abstinence of having someone to love by my side. Think I don´t want to lose that..." Julian closed his eyes, snuggling in the blanket, pretending that it was Marti, hugging him gently.

"You just brought me to tears... Please feel hugged by me, will you? I´m so happy here at your home, in your bed, sleeping in your pajama´s shirt. You´re family to me, so don´t you ever dare again to imagine me cheating on you, okay? I´m willing to sacrifice everything for this relationship. How could I ever spurn my chance of happiness this really stupid way?"

"God, I love you... Truly, madly, deeply. For that what you are, what you believe in and what you´re fighting for. Will you please meet me in my dreams tonight?" Julian whispered totally overwhelmed, hardly believing what he just had been saying.

Marti sighed hopefully. "Sure, I will. Call me tomorrow, okay? I´m waiting impatiently for your sexy voice sounding in my ear..."

Julian smiled all over his face. "I promise. Didn´t you forget something?" He wanted to hear it loud and clearly out of her lovely mouth.

"Yes, I do love you, too. Truly, madly, deeply." She whispered, her lips forming a kiss in the earphone. The first time she ever had done such childish thing.

Julian kissed her back through the phone. "Sleep well, princess."

"You, too, professor." Her finger tipped on the red button and clicked him off. Nestling down in his blanket, hardly avoiding to cry, Marti tried to fall asleep right away.

Julian laid awake once more, thinking of Heather and what the hell she could want from him. What he would have to do or not to do, what Marti would think of him speaking with her again after all this cruel things that had happened between them before. This was his one and only interest – not to affront his young girlfriend, the new love of his life, who made him happier than he had ever been. To do the right thing.

When he finally fell asleep hours later, he dreamed of Marti and him being happily married, having two children and a lovely black and white doggie called Sparky. He always wanted to live such a wonderful normal life. Only, Heather and he messed it up some years ago. He suddenly woke up when dreaming of Ally, lying on the ground of the pool behind their perfect house with that typical white fence around it, looking accusingly at him, while hateful words of Heather were coming loudly out of nowhere to hurt him like once before. Drops of sweat on his forehead. Shivering all over. Panicking in fear of guilt and no forgiveness. His heart beating so fast that he just thought of having a heart attack. It took him nearly two hours to fall asleep again after that awful nightmare following the sweetest love story he has ever dreamed of.

o o o o o o o o o o o

Marti woke up by the alarm at six o'clock. She smiled about being here at Julian´s once more and got herself down in the kitchen for a strong cup of coffee to finally awake. She was just thinking about their telephone call last night when the door bell rang. Maybe the craftsmen were coming right now, only a little earlier? She had no time to dress in a flannel gown and opened the door in Julian´s very short pajama´s shirt , still holding the cup of coffee in her hand. No craftsmen, but a beautiful woman stood in front of her, looking kind of surprised about her opening the door.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" Marti asked civilized. "Thought there were some craftsmen showing up..." The woman seemed to be a little awkward or maybe nerdy to her.

"Erm... My name´s Mrs. Rathbone. I´m searching for Mr. Parish, I´m... one of his clients."

"Mrs. Rathbone, nice to meet you! The counselor´s not at home for some days. You have to contact his office, I´m afraid."

"Sorry for disturbing you at home. It´s just that I´m in big trouble, you know?"

"_His_ home." Marti pointed out cleverly. "Did he give you his phone number?"

"Yes, I think so. Nice to have met you, Miss...?"

"Perkins. I'm the house sitter. The craftsmen are expected to come, like I said before. The Professor gets himself a new winter garden." She explained nervously. "I'm glad that I got some more time to dress now." Marti laughed. "Please don´t tell him, that I slept over. My boyfriend and I... We didn´t know where else to go." She has never lied better.

Mrs. Rathbone just smiled knowing. "My lips are sealed. When will he be back again? I mean Mr. Parish, not your boyfriend."

"In about three days, I think."

"Okay, I´ll better try to call him then. Thank you for being so kind."

"You´re welcome." Marti answered and closed the door, breathing heavenly. "Oh my fucking God..." She whispered to herself and got back into the kitchen to sit down and relax. How careless to open the door without clothes on! Julian would have liked to strangle her if he had known.

She finally took a shower, dressed herself for the day, waiting for the craftsmen to come. When they rang the bell just in time she opened civilized and let them come in. Julian would have been satisfied – there was not a single handsome guy among the four men. Marti grinned from time to time and sat in the garden to watch them working beside the porch, having her notebook on the lap, trying to concentrate on her studies. At lunch time Morgan called to tell her the time of their appointment in the evening. Savannah called at two o´clock to ask how it was going. Vanessa did, too, because of having to talk to her for some serious things about the scholarship. Marti had to put her off the next day. Finally Julian rang up at 3:30 p.m. to hear her voice again and she was damned happy to be able to talk to him.

The craftsmen had done their work perfectly and she could leave the house at seven o´clock. Just in time for their investigation. Morgan picked her up and they made it off to the special office they wanted to break in. With the crutches Marti was the perfect spy outside the office blocks, sitting on a bench in front of the building and waiting for people to pass her way. The moment someone walked inside the office blocks after closing hour, she followed the person without being detected and positioned herself behind a column. The special bureau Morgan broke in was on the second floor and no one else was around at this time. Like everywhere else public offices close at about seven p. m. and nobody but the concierge would be present after eight in the evening. They

could have done their work a lot easier than expected, if there hadn´t been that person entering the blocks a few minutes ago. The gray-haired man talked to the concierge and Marti watched him leaving to the stairs after a while. She got more and more nervous, holding her crutches tight to her body and sending an SOS via cell phone to Morgan on the second floor, telling him to get out of the bureau. He wrote back a simple _Okay_ and so she continued waiting for him behind the column, shivering all over. When the curly black-haired student returned safely from his break-in two floors above, they left the building through one of the fire exits on the ground floor.

Morgan smiled a lot, watching her walk with the crutches outside the building. "You´re quite fast since. My wildest fantasy would have been watching you, wearing one of that tight dresses, hitting some bad ass with one of your crutches who wants to discover me while breaking in. Would you have tried to help me out this way?" He giggled.

"Dreamer! Maybe, I don´t know." She hit him on his back, smiling about his comic fantasies. "God! Did you see that old man on your floor? I was nervous as hell when he got upstairs. He looked like some very important guy to me. Maybe the mayor´s right hand? Julian would have killed us, I swear! So, what about some evidence? Found something interesting?"

"Think I did, yeah! Let´s go to my place and take a look at the pics I took. Julian should order a search warrant as soon as possible."

He was definitely right, Marti decided back home again when taking a look at the pictures Morgan had taken of several papers and photographs inside the office. Totally satisfying. He walked her home to the Hellcats´ house where Vanessa was unexpectedly already waiting for her. Morgan left with a kiss on her cheek.

"Thought we had an appointment for tomorrow?" Marti asked surprised, standing in the kitchen in front of the cheerleader´s coach.

Vanessa nodded. "I know. But it´s too important, so I decided to talk to you immediately."

Marti took her in their dorm, Savannah had to leave again and Vanessa sat on her bed, sighing heavenly with curious eyes. "How´s your shackle?" She wanted to know. It wasn´t easy to confront one of her students with such incredible suspects.

"Better. What´s up with the scholarship? Am I about to lose it because of the injury?" Marti looked questioningly at her coach. "Wouldn´t be fair, don´t you think so?"

"No, you´re not. I wanted to ask you a personal question."

"Erm... O-kaaaay?"

Vanessa took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on her concern. "Do you have an affair with one of your teachers?" She got to the point immediately.

For a second Marti gasped for breath, then recollected the facts. "No, I haven´t. Who the heck told you such crappy thing?"

"I saw you at the emergency last night." Vanessa remarked dryly.

The young woman shyly cleared her throat. "He´s not my teacher."

"But?"

"I´m not in his law class. He´s not my professor anymore."

"But you do have an affair with someone of the teaching staff."

"No, I haven´t."

"I saw you kissing intimately."

"It´s not an affair."

"But? You´re already engaged?"

"No, I´m not... yet. But I will be soon." This time a lie could save their lives she thought.

Vanessa sighed once more. "Marti, you´re wrong. I know what I´m talking about. Once I did the same and ruined an existing marriage. Now the past is catching up on me again."

"Julian´s not married anymore."

"Are you sure about that?"

"A hundred percent!"

"However, it´s not right."

"I changed class, I´m definitely old enough. No one can judge us for having been fallen in love."

"Are you sure that he´s not using you?"

"This is serious, Vanessa. We wanted to wait a few months before coming out with that so-called scandal. Please don´t tell anybody about our relationship."

"How long have you been together?"

"Sounds ridiculous... Only for a few weeks. But... Have you seen him at the emergency? He was totally out of control, fearing to lose me like he lost his daughter. She died in the pool five years ago. You can´t force to destroy the first relationship after his divorce was final three years ago, he would obviously be broken." Marti answered with a tremulous voice, shaking all over.

Vanessa looked at her in shock. "I didn´t know..." She stammered. "Cruel..."

"I´m in love with him. He´s a wonderful person and he deserves to be happy, you know?"

"Okay... But, I´m going to ask him for his reasons. I have to. And if you´re right, I´m willing to forget what I´ve seen." She stood up and went to the door of the dorm, suddenly turning around again. "If he already is as honest as Red is now after several years of not seeing each other, I´m really able to understand you." Vanessa smiled, closing silently the door behind her.

Marti sat on her bed in agony. She had no idea how to react on this development. Julian would go crazy if he found out. She still sat there thinking about what just had happened when Savannah came back in.

"Everything okay with you?" She asked caring, noticing a strange look upon Marti´s face.

"Not at all. Vanessa found out."

"About Julian?"

"Bingo!"

"So, what did she say?" Savannah wanted to know curiously and sat down beside her, holding her hand in friendship.

"Well, she wasn´t amused at all. And she wants to talk to him. Ask for his reasons. If he tells her the same, it´ll be okay for her. "

"Sounds fair, doesn´t it?"

"It does. But it´s frightening me, though. Maybe it´s ridiculous, but he sat his heart on me, Savannah. He needs me to be strong. I know it sounds kind of weird, but it´s the truth. He said it´s because of me that he´s feeling alive again..." She suddenly burst into tears. Feeling that much responsible for someone else wasn´t as easy as considered.

"He really said that? With these words?" Savannah whispered.

Marti nodded, crying like a baby with her hands upon her face. "I feel like losing my self control..."

Savannah tried to calm her down, hugging her desperately. "It´s okay, Baby. It´s okay. Maybe it´s been too much in some way. Don´t worry about Julian, he´s adult. Try to concentrate on yourself, okay? You´re not responsible for his life. You´re responsible for your own life."

The Hellcats´ Captain packed Marti under the blanket and sat beside her until she fell asleep, still weeping silently. She had never seen her so desperate and vulnerable before. A fact that made her believe that this relationship wasn´t the best decision Marti had ever made. Julian ought to have known better, Savanna thought caring.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 14.05.2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Thanks for reading!

How about thanks for writing?

Hope you´re not bored anyway * lol *


	10. Out of Control

Time for reading!

As we all know the show has been canceled and my only comment on this is the following quote:

"_Positive out comes only." _

What they didn´t want us to show on TV, I´m going to write it down.

There will be more space to fantasize and as a writer I have to be very pleased by their decision – as one of their audience I´m as depressed as you are. But I´m going to take Savannah´s and Marti´s advice and hopefully let positive out come only ^^

**To all my readers and reviewers: I love you to death!**

o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 9 ~**

_Out of control_

When Julian saw the new winter garden he had to hold his breath for a while. It looked so wonderful and translucent, just as he thought it would do. Perfect work in his eyes. He had come home late at night, Marti was away with her squad to practice for nationals and he had to be alone once more. There was also a lot of work left to do and he sat at his desk at home until three o´clock in the morning. Marti and he would see each other at the university the next day and he was okay with that. She called him from the bus, said her shackle was better, but she won´t practice herself. Only, the squad had to be together, performing as a real team. In some way she seemed a little weird to him, but he didn´t worry more than just one second until she sent him a kiss through the phone again. The fact being together with a cheerleader seemed not weird to him anymore. He obviously got used to it, like Marti did her own way. It was kind of self-serving, nothing else.

The next morning, Julian went to Lancer University and talked to some other teachers in the hallway, when suddenly a dark-haired woman, whose perfume got him back into memories immediately, passed by. His head swung around and made his heart beat stuck for a moment. He must have seen a ghost.

"Professor Parish?" The younger teacher, to whom he was just talking to, was wondering about Julian being petrified that much. "Are you okay?"

"I´m late, Harry. Meet me again at lunch time." He answered and ran away, following the dark-haired woman in the light blue costume down the hallway.

Just in time he called her name to make sure that he was only hallucinating. "Heather?"

The dark-haired woman immediately turned around, smiling. "Julian!" She remarked. "I didn´t recognize you, sorry."

Julian was at a loss for words. There she stood, as if nothing has ever happened between them, laughing like the sun. "What are you doing here?" He whispered nervously.

"You haven't accepted my calls. I wanted to tell you that I´m going to teach at Lancer from now on. History and English literature."

"Really...?" He was still in shock. "What about your job in Minneapolis?"

"Done. By the way, I visited Ally´s grave. You brought candles? Nice idea. I like it."

"Thank you... It was for her birthday. I´m... late for class..." Julian turned around and went away with shaking legs.

"Maybe we could meet for a cup of coffee in the faculty room?" She asked loudly, but Julian didn´t answer at all. Heather smiled contentedly and went away herself.

The professor was totally confused, walking through the hallways without knowing where he was really going. To see her again had been shocking to him. The last time they met had been at court house when divorce was set final. Heather had accused him of being guilty once more, her eyes looking at him in deep disgust. The first time he had felt like a piece of shit himself. To have brought back all the bad memories was not the way he wanted to spend the day. He had to concentrate on his lessons and tried to get everything else out of his mind. When he entered class more than ten minutes too late, Morgan grinned satisfied.

"What´s so funny, Potter?" Julian snarled at him with angry eyes. He would have no patience at all today. With no one. Not even Marti´s buddy at law class.

Morgan got back to earth immediately. "Nothing, Mr. Parish..."

"I know I´m late. Something evil kept me from being in time. Let´s continue the lesson! Time is money, guys!" He put his stuff on the desk and sat down on it in front of the students with a heavy sigh from deep down his heart. "Anybody with some concrete arguments for _Beckman vs. Cartwright_?"

Whatever his students said, he didn´t realize anything of their theses. All that he could think of was his ex-wife, now teaching at the same university. It would be fucking hell to him. At lunch time he met Marti in the refectory, smiling secretly at him for a few seconds. He nodded unseen, scanning desperately the whole room for Heather. She wasn´t there, he felt like throwing up indeed. To feel helpless in some way, thinking of running away and never come back, frightened him a lot and he decided to leave the refectory as soon as possible after he got his sandwich for lunch. Unfortunately the cheerleader´s coach was about to stop him.

"Professor Parish? May I have your attention for one moment, please?" Vanessa wanted to know.

"Is it mandatory?" Julian answered irritated.

"I wanted to talk to you about something personal. Maybe we better go outside the refectory down the hallway?"

Julian suddenly got nervous once more. "Something personal?" He asked, letting her leave the refectory first. "You do not talk about Red Raymond, do you?"

"Pardon?"

"Forget about that comment, I´m just a little weird today..." Julian smirked. "So, what do you want me to answer?"

"A few days ago I was at the emergency at about 10:30 in the evening." Vanessa said quietly, looking curiously at him.

Julian turned pale at a moment´s notice, clearing his throat. "I see..." This was the most embarrassing situation ever in his entire life. He didn´t know what to say to that, so he remained silent for a moment, avoided looking into her eyes.

Vanessa didn´t want to compromise him. "Listen... I talked to Marti. Maybe you don´t know what she´s expecting this affair to be?"

"We don´t have an affair."

Vanessa couldn´t believe it. He really answered the same way. "But? You´re already engaged?" She tried to force him like she did to Marti.

"No, we aren´t... yet. But... we will be soon." The only possible answer he could give. Even if Marti would like to kill him for that.

"I´m impressed, really impressed..." Vanessa smiled. "Did you guys rehearse your answers?"

Julian actually had to hold back the laughter. All of a sudden his heart was about to burst in love for his young girlfriend and her obviously cleverly reactions. "You mean because of me answering the same way as her? Well, not at all. This is serious to me as well as to her. There´s no more to say about it."

"I promised to forget what I´ve seen if _you_ tell me the same _truth. _Think I have to keep the promise now... There´s only one condition. You have to be careful and try to keep up discretion. No scandal at Lancer, no scandal for the squad."

"You´re not in the position to tell me what to do, lady. But you´re right and we won´t provoke a scandal where there is no scandal. Got it?" Julian had become totally furious. "I´m not going to discuss my private life with the whole staff! Neither will Marti!" He turned around and left her with shaking knees, running accidentally into his ex-wife at the end of the hallway, looking really frightened at her in total surprise.

"Julian?" She was wondering again. "You look kind of exhausted..."

He didn´t respond to her question and got away as fast as possible without noticing her at all. To get home immediately was his only thought left. Just away from this accusing eyes everywhere, from Heather and her weird behavior, from the students of his law class and in some way from himself, too. Memories of Ally´s death, Heather´s awful words to him and feelings of guilt had been torturing him the whole day through after this awful nightmare he had to go through the night before. He needed a pause. Time to relax and to see Marti, his future and one and only way not to have to think about the past. Unfortunately they had to talk serious again.

o o o o o o o o o o

Wanda entered the prison with throbbing. She hadn´t seen Marti´s dad for a long time, but today she had to talk to him about their daughter. The atmosphere was threatening, she had to hold her breath several times. When her ex-husband finally showed up behind the thick glass and took the phone to speak with her, Wanda nearly fainted. He obviously had changed a lot.

"Wanda?" Rex asked surprised. She had never visited him before. "You pay me a visit? How come?"

"We have to talk about Marti. She wants to know all about you. And I know she´ll find out anyhow."

"She must already be a young woman... Does she look good?"

"She´s a wonderful person, I raised her on my own. So, will you please do me a favor?"

"What for?"

"To protect your amazing daughter from disappointment."

"Because of me, what else! Means in particular?"

"Try to show her your best side. Be kind and don´t offend her. She´ll definitely find out everything, because of her law professor helping her to reveal your case."

"I always said I´m innocent. I´ve got nothing to hide for my share. By the way, do you have a photograph of her? I´d really like to take a look at her... "

Wanda had expected this to happen. She took the latest picture out of her bag and showed it to him through the glass. Just to make clear that he had to do what she asked for.

"Wow..." He murmured. "A younger version of you."

"She´s perfect. I want you to be exactly the nice dad you should have been over the years."

"Don´t worry. I´m going to be fabulous." He smiled. "By the way... You look great, Wanda... Just like then."

"Don´t do this to me, Rex! Gotta go now." Wanda whispered in despair.

"Will you pay me a visit again?"

"I don´t think so... Good luck!" She left the cabin, nearly running away and hiding some upcoming tears. When she got outside the prison, she took a deep breath and put on her sunglasses. "You did it, Wanda! You really did it!" She said to herself. Tears silently rolling down her cheek the whole way home.

o o o o o o o o o o o o

Julian sat at his desk at home and tried to study the papers of the case of Marti´s dad, which he had already gotten himself from the court house. But instead of reading attentively, he had to think of Heather every three minutes. There was no way of concentrating on anything else until he would be able to speak with Marti about his ex-wife showing up again. Even if he had noticed some kind of weird incidents while reading the papers lying in front of him. A cup of coffee hopefully would make him feel better, so he went to the kitchen to actuate the coffee maker.

The phone rang, while he was waiting for the coffee and so he took a look on the display of his cell phone. Heather again. She was about to drive him nuts, but he accepted the call this time. "Yes?" He spoke angrily through the phone.

"It´s me, Julian. Are you okay? You seemed a bit disoriented today at the university." Heather started the conversation her ex-husband didn´t want them to have.

"I´m fine. What do you _want_?" Julian sounded really irritated.

"Nothing special. Just tried to be nice. Maybe we could meet up and talk about the past? Thought I might have to apologize for having been kind of mean to you..."

"NO way. I don´t want to talk about anything to you. Especially not about the past. Stay out of my life, that´s all I´m asking for these days. Got it?"

"You´re still upset, I understand that. Think it over, I´m really sorry for what had happened between the two of us. Okay? We have a common past, 14 years, remember? Feel free to call me in case you change your mind."

Julian hung up without saying goodbye to her, cursing quietly to himself. If anybody had told him how angry Heather would make him some day, he wouldn´t have believed it. His carotid was already swollen and he had difficulties not to tremble too much, still holding the cup of coffee carefully in his hand.

That was the moment Marti showed up, having some trouble with the crutches. She stumbled into the kitchen right in time, finding him in total despair. "Hi, Hon! Happy to see you again, even if it´s late. But..." She put the crutches away, hugging him with love. "What happened to you, Julian?" She she? asked quietly. He was looking kind of confused to her.

The professor just held her tight, without saying a word. He felt warm and safe again, not knowing how she obtained that sensation once more. His fingers slowly ran through her curly hair, down on her back and up again. Kissing her gently on the cheek with closed eyes, thinking about nothing else than being loved and kind of protected by the most wonderful and understanding woman all over the world.

"Things are getting more complicated, Marti..." He murmured. "We have to talk seriously once more."

The young woman felt her heart beat rising, following him in his arms to the living room. Seemed Vanessa must already have met him. "What did she say?" Marti wanted to know kind of insecure.

Julian was briefly wondering about her already knowing of Heather´s presence. "She wants to apologize. I can´t let this happen. I´m definitely not going to." He answered, looking deep into her eyes, sitting down on the couch right beside her, crossing their fingers.

"Vanessa wants to apologize?" Marti was wondering herself. "For what the heck? Did she offend you in some way?"

"Sorry, seems we got our wires crossed... I was talking about Heather."

"Your ex?" Now things were coming much clearer. "So, Vanessa hasn´t talked to you, yet?"

"Sure, she has. Let´s talk about her later. First I have to tell you about Heather." Julian sighed once more. "I´m afraid of her, honey. She moved back to Lancer and – believe it or not – she´ll be teaching at the university from now on."

Marti was really worrying now. "I see... Christ! Are you alright? What did she do to you?" She asked, her voice raising in excitement.

"Nothing special. She seems just to show up _everywhere _I´m going to. After all, I can´t believe that she changed her mind about the accident."

"Sounds like being in a horror movie... Don´t you ever let her get you angry or even frightened! Maybe she tries to destroy you by stalking?"

"I thought so, too. Our relationship would be the perfect thing to try on."

"As long as she doesn´t know about me...? Does she?"

"I don´t think so."

"Good to know. But she´ll find out soon."

"That´s why I told you. Be careful, honey, okay? I don´t trust her at all, even after all these really good years..."

"Noticed. So, what about Vanessa? Did she threaten you, too?"

Julian put his arm around her shoulder and Marti cuddled up to him. "She wanted to know if we have been rehearsing our answers." He smiled, remembering Vanessa´s surprising face. "What exactly did you tell her about us?"

Marti coughed embarrassingly. "I lied to her. I had to. You might not like my answer..." Her eyes met Julian´s timidly.

"You told her we would be engaged soon, right?" Julian smirked.

She looked at him in total surprise. "How did you know?"

"So did I. Because I didn´t want her to think of an affair. She asked directly, so I had to answer back. Just a white lie..."

"Same with me. Wow! I like you thinking of you and me not just having an affair. Or even getting engaged some day."

Julian lifted her chin with his finger. "So do I." He kissed her softly. "I had a really bad day and I´m tired like hell." Another kiss on the corner of her mouth. He loved to kiss her like that, tenderly and in a real romantic way.

"What about cuddling up in bed, just holding each other, trying to fall asleep together without having nightmares?"

"Sounds wonderful to me. You have no idea how I felt, meeting Heather for real today at the university. My heart nearly gave up beating for a moment. We haven´t seen each other for three years, I´ve never called her, either, and she talked to me as if nothing had ever happened... That was totally weird!"

"Did you ever consider her being crazy? I mean she probably could be kind of a psycho?"

"I did, of course! But... We just have to sit and wait what´s going to happen, I think. The legal system, you know?"

Marti stood up, took his hand and he carried her on his arms upstairs in their bedroom, where she first kissed him once again and then began to undress him slowly and kind of devoutly in front of the bed. Opening every button of his shirt with her smooth fingers, pulling it finally over his shoulders with that certain sigh on her lips and a lovingly smile on her face. Julian let her do it with notedly pleasure. When she stroked over his chest, like it´s been of velvet, feeling every little reaction going together with her own one, he had to pull himself together once more. She did magic to him, for sure. Looking deep into his eyes, Marti opened the zipper of his suit pants, being followed by the leather belt and the button underneath. Her hands got under the trouser waistband right on his back, feeling his underwear warm under her fingers and pulling the trousers off deftly. Julian just stepped out of his shoes, followed by the suit pants and Marti let her hands wandering upon his chest again. From deep down his belly up to the collarbone, recognizing every goose bump appearing on his warm skin without leaving his glance with her own eyes. This was about to be sacred, she thought for a moment. His body was a wonderland to her, like John Mayor has sung once and so she began to sing in a whisper herself.

_[...]One mile to every inch of  
Your skin like porcelain  
One pair of candy lips and  
Your bubblegum tongue_

´Cause if you want love  
We'll make it  
Swim in a deep sea  
Of blankets  
Take all your big plans  
And break ´em  
This is bound to be a while

Your body Is a wonderland  
Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands)  
Your body Is a wonderland […]

_(©John Mayor)_

Everything seemed perfect and mature to her. To compare him with some student of her environment seemed really impossible. She wasn´t going for big muscles at all and no matter how good looking a guy her age could be, he would still be too young and kind of unfinished in her eyes, because of the lack of experience and a brilliant brain of his own.

"If you go on like this, we won´t just cuddle and try to fall asleep." Julian remarked hoarsely, being turned on in addition by her lovely voice and the lyrics of course.

Marti smiled wickedly. "I know... Are you still feeling tired?"

"Let me say_ halfway_ – from my hips up to my head _yes_, but from my hips down to my toes _not at all_..."

She just closed his mouth with her lips, smiling contentedly while kissing him passionately, willing to get laid immediately. He embraced her firmly, shaking all over, having the biggest hard-on ever under his pants. Marti could feel him rubbing her lap with his own one and tried to snuggle him once more. In a certain excitement they fell on the bed together in a warm embrace and she continued turning him on. It was like going to a candy shop: You look at all the sweeties, pick up the best taste and try to enjoy it on your tongue as long as possible. So did Marti. Driving him totally wild was one of her favorite games to succeed in.

"Touch him." Julian demanded whispering with a certain desire.

"Not yet." Marti answered, kissing him on the lips again. Now her tongue was about to finish its work to make him going totally crazy.

Julian´s fingers grabbed into her back, began to undress her impatiently, nearly wild and uncontrolled. He wanted her so badly, it even hurt some sweet way. Still wearing his pants, feeling constricted and agitated like hell. He wanted her to pull out his erection, to take it in her hand and rub it for a few times. But she didn´t do it. Finally he desperately took her hand and put it over his boner under the pants.

"Please..." He was begging hoarsely.

Marti leaned her forehead at his and smiled. "Say that you love me to death!" She whispered, feeling his erection under her expert fingers.

"I love you to death, to the moon and back, whatever you want! Oh my fucking God, _touch_ him!"

"Wowowowowowow... Slowly, handsome lover... I´m going to pull him out of his current prison, don´t, _don´t you_ _dare _tomove yourself!" She let her fingers slip gently under his pants, feeling the warm flesh trembling in excitement.

Julian moaned once more, waiting patiently for her to finally take him fully in her hand. When she closed her fingers round his hard-on a few seconds later, he just had to hold his breath for a while. Then he suddenly moved his hips to get him rubbed by her, but she still didn´t allow him to do it.

"I said, _don´t move _yourself!" Marti insisted on what she wanted to do.

She felt so horny herself by watching him suffer from not getting it going. A little bit like master and slave in her opinion, but she never wanted him to be totally passive. Hearing him moan when finally slipping the condom over his erection by hardly even touching him made her coming up goose bumps all over herself.

"This is torture, you know?" Julian answered hoarsely. "Do you want to torment me? Well, you did it!" A loud groan left his mouth, closing his eyes in total despair. "Release me, for heaven´s sake!"

Marti smiled all over, crawling over his body. "You have no idea how perfect you are..." She whispered, looking deep into his sparkling eyes. "Adorable all over." Her hips swinging on his crotch, in front of her his jerking penis waiting for release.

"Don´t talk, just touch!" Julian desired desperately. He was really in his last throes and needed to be released immediately. "I dare to ask for mercy... Please, have mercy, Marti! You´re a female devil..."

She just realized that it was time to let it go. To give him what he deserves. Make him happy and satisfied. "Okay, you won. I can´t bear seeing you begging and suffering any longer. You´re allowed to do whatever you want to from now on..." Marti whispered in his ear, nibbling tenderly on the earlobe, while feeling his erection touching her lap.

Like having been given the right keyword, Julian hectically rolled over with her, uncontrollable taking off her clothes left as fast as he could make it. She was lucky not to get some rents in her bra. His mouth and tongue took possession of Marti´s, didn´t even let her breathe anymore and he discovered her body in about two minutes with his hands, just to get between her legs and enter her passionately. When he slipped kind of rudely into her, it felt so redemptory, he couldn´t stop coming a few seconds later. Shooting his load deep inside of her center, shivering like hell, he felt ashamed of being a barely grown-up with teenage behavior.

"I´m sorry... You shouldn´t have done that to me..." He murmured into her curly blond hair. "Awesome but way too good."

Marti sighed, smiling amusedly. "Thought you would be able to control yourself a little longer..." . "

"So did I. But... I was pretty helpless... You´re too convincing, hon, way too convincing." He smiled embarrassingly.

"Doesn´t matter. As long as you try to finish it otherwise?" She blushed. Never in her mature life, which hadn´t been that long until now, she had asked anyone for that kind of favor, even if there had been need of.

Julian appreciated her being so honest and talking loud and clearly to him. Especially about that."I´ll try my best, hon. Maybe you´re lucky and little Julian will rise again while stroking you tenderly all over or licking over every inch of your sacred body?"

To hear him talk like this and starting to do it just after having mentioned, made her feel sexy and damned horny once more. He still was inside of her, she could feel him quivering sometimes, but he had to slip off the used condom first. That was quite disturbing and just when he decided to do it, the door bell rang downstairs. Marti was breathing agitated, looking at him questioningly.

"We don´t open." He said, slipping out of her, finally taking off the condom. "I´m busy." His wicked smile wasn´t comparable to anything else.

Marti enjoyed him being that raunchy. She let him do anything he wanted to until her enormous scream told him he had been successful. The doorbell had rung a few times more, but they hadn´t recognized it at all. Drowning in lust and overwhelming desire. Marti got satisfied like never before. She had that idiotic smile on her face, comparable with that of Meg Ryan in _Harry and Sally _when they first had sex together. Due to Dan´s video passion she always thought of movie scenes. When Julian walked downstairs to bring some wine later, Marti followed him carefully without her crutches and suddenly embraced him from behind in front of the refrigerator.

"You´re totally naked, hon... There are windows, you know?" Julian whispered, looking behind over his shoulder with a wide grin on his face.

"I don´t care."

"You´re one-of-a-kind. Nothing compares to you, really." He remarked smiling, taking the wine out of the fridge. "I wonder why you´re here with me... You could have had anyone, you know?"

Marti´s heart just wanted to give up beating. "I know, yeah. I wonder why you can´t see your own uniqueness?" She cuddled up to him from behind and kissed him on the neck. "We just _need_ each other, haven´t you ever felt that whenever we´re together?"

Before Julian could answer her statement, the phone began to ring. It was late and Julian didn´t want to accept the call, so they waited curiously for the machine turning on to hear who´s calling that late at night. Some clients seem to never get some sleep.

"_Hello Julian, it´s me. I´d really like to talk to you. Please give me a chance to explain my former behavior. We shared so many years together, you can´t ignore me, can you? I´m waiting for your call. Where are you so late at night? You never go out in the evening, do you? Okay, I thought of having lunch together in the refectory tomorrow? I´m waiting for you. Maybe we could go and pay Ally´s grave a visit later on? She´d be happy to see her parents peacefully together, don´t you think so? Julian, please... Okay, have to hang up. See you tomorrow." _

The professor stood there like a pillar of salt, mouth wide open, breathing hardly, trembling all over. Marti kissed him on the cheek, held him tight while whispering _it´s okay_ again and again in his ear...

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 21.05.2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Thanks for reading, guys!

Hope you´ll pay me a visit right here next Saturday?


	11. Faceoff

So, you´re still reading here, sweeeeeeeeeeeet ;-)

**Thanks to all my last reviewers, readers and lovers all over the world!**

**You brighten up my day like nothing else, believe me.**

"You´re not dating onlookers, you´re dating me. What´s important is how you see me? So tell me..."

"_Tell you what exactly?"_

"How do you see me? What is it you... you like about me? Why are you in this?"

- It´s your turn, readers all over the world! * wink *

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 10 ~**

_Face-off_

The next day Julian went to his office for some important papers to catch instead of having lunch at the refectory for not being found anywhere. His ex-wife actually made him thinking of quitting his job as a teacher. He was confused like never before in his entire life.

Marti had been glad Julian didn´t want to meet Heather at the campus for lunch. She decided to bring some flowers to Ally in the afternoon for being thankful and Morgan joined her for some good reason. They had to talk about the running case. Julian had been very surprised and angry, too, about what they had done. The break-in to the bureau was the last thing he needed right now as Heather was causing that much trouble in his life. But what they found just helped a lot to exonerate his client. It was about five o´clock when Marti and Morgan took kind of a romantic walk through the cemetery, just like Julian and her did once before. Except the kissing and the intertwined fingers.

"It´s beautiful here..." Morgan remarked, looking at all the wonderful graves around. "Not spooky at all."

"Yes, it is. We´re just at Ally´s..." Suddenly her voice broke up, when she recognized the strange women in front of Ally´s grave, she tried to hold back Morgan and hide behind the next best bush right along the way. "Who is she?" Marti whispered to him, feeling her heart beat like a drum. "I´ve never seen anybody else here..." Maybe it´s Heather, she thought frightened by herself.

Morgan looked at her in disbelief. "Well, _I _don´t know!" He said kind of amused.

Marti was holding her breath. She forced Morgan to stay calm and not to move. Then the woman turned around for leaving and the young girl nearly thought of having to faint immediately. Morgan tried to help her by putting his arms around her shoulders.

"What´s going on here?" He asked quietly, trying to keep her vertical. She was really staggering.

"On my goodness..." Marti whispered, still gasping for breath. "It´s _her_!"

"Her?"

"Heather. It must be Heather... I met her before. She already knows my face, shit!"

"Heather who?"

"Julian´s ex-wife. She came to his house that day the craftsmen were expected to come. I told her I am the house sitter and that I slept over with my boyfriend – means _you_. Fact is, she knows my face!"

"I really don´t get it."

"Let me think it over... She told me her name was Mrs. Rathbone... So she must have lied to me. Oh my God, I believe Julian´s right to be afraid of her... This woman maybe is dangerous, she probably wants us dead."

"I still don´t get it." Morgan answered totally confused. "Aren´t you reacting a bit tragically?"

"Kiss me!" Marti suddenly forced him because of Heather walking by right away.

Morgan did. He always took his chances. The blond curls hid Marti´s face perfectly and so Heather passed by without looking at the two of them in particular. Morgan enjoyed being so near to her and didn´t want to let her out of his embrace again. Whenever their lips met, he tried to use his tongue but she didn´t let him.

"She´s gone... Take your hands of my butt, dude!" Marti hissed towards her friend. "Why do you always have to try this?"

"Because you´re sweet, good looking and I like you a lot."

"Try another jingle!"

"Erm... _Cause when you´re with him I am thinking of you..." _He sang Katy Perry´s lines a little bit different, making Marti smile once more.

"You´re so nuts, Harry Potter! Come on, let´s bring Ally the flowers. I have to talk to Julian immediately."

"Julian, again and again this name out of your mouth. You know that I´m not willing to hear that anymore?"

Marti pushed him away in a friendly way and smiled. "He was impressed of you breaking in, remember?"

"How could I forget that? The second thing he said to me was: _Why the heck didn´t you stop her from doing that?_"

"He cares about me – and you. He doesn´t know about you being a bit sweet on me."

"Nice declaration." Morgan pouted. "Let´s get away from here..."

When he left her at Julian´s house, Morgan wasn´t offended anymore. He told himself to be patient and to wait for his turn to come. Hope springs eternal.

Marti opened the door and found herself in Julian´s arms immediately. He kissed her all over and then looked deep into her eyes.

"I was worrying about your health. How was it going with the crutches? Did Morgan help you at the campus?"

"I´m fine. But you´ll have to worry soon. Heather had been at the cemetery. She didn´t see us, but she already knows me."

Julian lifted his eyebrow. "She already knows you?"

Marti told him about her visit at his home and that she had named herself Mrs. Rathbone, telling her that she´d been one of his clients. He wasn´t surprised at all.

"It´s her maiden name. What did you say to her?"

"That I´m the house sitter because of the craftsmen and that I slept over with my boyfriend. I was only wearing your pajama´s shirt. Must have been looking quite sexy in her eyes..."

"Christ! Be careful, okay? I don´t know what she´s planning on doing." Julian remarked with real worry in his eyes. "But I appreciate your answer about your sleepover with your boyfriend, very clever! Why have you visited Ally today? Did you expect to meet Heather there because of the phone call on the machine?"

"Not at all. I had to talk to Morgan privately and I often pay her a visit, you just don´t know."

"One has to love you, you know?" He smiled.

Both of them couldn´t sleep that night because of thinking about Heather and her further actions. They held each other tight, hoping for some solution on their problem soon. At half past five in the morning Julian said into the darkness, that he finally has to talk to his ex some day. Otherwise there wouldn´t be peace around his environment. Heather had been persistent her whole life through. She wouldn´t stop being it right now. Marti agreed with him. So it had been decided. He would meet his ex-wife though. When the first birds began to sing, they both had been fallen asleep in a tight embrace.

o o o o o o o o o o o o

The practice went fantastic, but Vanessa suddenly left the gym before they had finished. She had done that a few times before and Savannah wanted to know why. It seemed kind of familiar to her. When she followed her right away to the bathroom, she felt validated. A few minutes later, Vanessa left one of the cabins, pale all over. She noticed the cheer leading captain and tried to smile.

"You look kind of ill."

"Thank you for worrying. I´m just fine."

"I can see that. You´re pregnant, aren´t you?" Savannah asked quietly.

Vanessa felt her heartbeat rising. "Is it that obvious?" She washed her hands and rinsed her mouth.

"To me, of course. My sister, remember?"

"Charlotte. I forgot. Please don´t tell anybody."

"Okay. My lips are sealed. Are you okay with it? I mean..." Savannah was at a loss for words.

"Not really. But I´m adult, so don´t worry about me."

"If you need someone to talk to... Feel free to ask for me. Or... Wanda." Savannah smiled.

Vanessa laughed about her joke to talk to Wanda. "Thanks for making me laugh. I needed it badly."

"I wasn´t kidding. She might be kind of weird, but she knows a lot about life and she helped my family to get together again."

"Oh..." The coach was about to leave the bathroom, looking much better than before. "Thanks a lot, though. I won´t discuss my life with someone kind of curious like Wanda Perkins."

Savannah followed her back to the gym and they went on trying the right moves for nationals. Even though she had promised not to tell anybody, Savannah had to talk to Marti about it. Maybe she knows a bit more about their coach since they´ve been working together on that football scandal at Lancer University. Back at their dorm, the Hellcats´ captain tried to get some more information.

"Marti? May I ask you a question?" Savannah started the discussion, already lying in bed.

"Sure."

"Did you notice anything unusual on Vanessa?"

Marti turned around, leaning her head on the left arm. "She seems to be pregnant. Am I right?"

"Obviously yes. Did she tell you anything about it? Who the father is? "

"No, I even didn´t know about it. But I think she maybe could be in trouble because of not knowing who the father is. I mean Red or Derek?"

"I thought so, too. How can we help her?"

"We can´t do anything. It´s her life."

"She doesn't want to talk to Wanda."

"For heaven´s sake, not Wanda! My mum isn´t the right person to lean on if it comes to pregnancy." Marti answered self-confidently.

"Sure she is. She called my mum because of my sister Charlotte. I really have to thank her for that intervention."

Marti shook her head in disbelief. "One of her unexpected successes. Really weird..."

"How is it going with your professor? Still rose-colored glasses?"

"In some way, yeah. We have to deal with his former life. His ex-wife is teaching at Lancer now. Mrs. Rathbone – ever heard of her?"

"She´s my new history teacher! Professor Gibbs had to quit because of cancer, you know?"

"Shit! She seems to be _every_where. Julian is afraid of her, so don´t you show her the way to him or even the two of us. She´ll find us somehow or other. Dammit!" Marti got goose bumps all over. She never had thought to get into some fatal affair.

Savannah sighed. "This turns out to become a lot more complicated than considered. I really don´t want to walk in your shoes. Is he still worth all the trouble and the complications?"

"That´s not the point." Marti closed her eyes, thinking of Julian´s adorable face.

"Then what _is_ the point?"

"The point is, that there is NO point. It´s not a decision whether we´re together or not. It´s... destiny? I don´t know how to describe it better than this. My heart wants me to be together with him and as we all know, you can´t escape your feelings."

"You just have to use your brain, Marti. It could be a lot of easier for you."

Marti looked at Savannah in total surprise. "Is it really you, who is telling me to decide on my intellect instead of my feelings?"

"Yes, it´s me, who´s telling you that. I´m sure that you know what I wanted to say. Just take care of yourself and think twice before getting deeper in it."

"I´m already too deep into it, didn´t _you_ tell me that before?" Marti smiled.

"Have you ever thought about your future? I mean, when he´s fifty you´ll be only thirty-six?"

"Sounds interesting to me. I love gray temples, you know?"

Savannah had to grin once more. "Liar!"

"Not at all! How about George Clooney? Or Richard Gere? Or even Sean Connery? They look way better with gray hair."

"You´re kidding, right?"

Marti smirked. "Maybe? Look, I don´t care about his temples or anything else. He´s handsome right now and he´ll stay handsome in the future. That´s all. Seems like you´ve never been in love, have you?"

"Okay, I´ll get another try. He´ll probably get sick some day, not able to satisfy your needs anymore?"

"Are you serious? What kind of needs are we talking about?"

"I don´t know. Same interests, sport, whatever!"

"I´m growing older, too. I don´t worry about changing interests or anything else. And no, I´m not wearing rose-colored glasses. You haven´t seen him naked. He still looks like our friends, without any wrinkles or anything else. Simply perfect. So, why should I worry? Maybe I´ll look older than him in ten years?"

"Good night, Marti! You definitely chose the right profession!" Savannah smirked, shaking her head.

"Objection, Your Honor! I chose the right lover, that´s it!" Marti pleaded glibly, turning the blanket over her laughing face.

The two girls giggled for about ten minutes about their ridiculous conversation before they finally fell asleep.

o o o o o o o o o o o

"It´s me. We need to talk. Law faculty room at lunchtime. I´m not going to wait for you." Julian spoke on Heather´s mailbox with frosty voice.

He was glad not to have her on the phone right now. There wouldn´t have been time to talk to her or even make clear his anger about her persistence. He just walked on to his law class and sent Marti a short text message for not having to worry about their meeting. She sent back only two little words: Love you. Julian still smiled when he entered the classroom.

"Had a busy night?" Morgan asked smirking before the professor was able to say hello to his students.

"Of course, yeah!" He answered, licking seductively over his lips. Morgan wouldn´t win the race, he swore to himself.

The students looked surprised, whispering amusedly to each other and Julian had to quiet them immediately. So he threw his keys on the desk and tried to look more serious.

"Anything else to answer before starting the lesson?" He asked with a lifted eyebrow. No replies at all. "Okay... Then we can start with the test right now. Everything off the table except your pens!"

Morgan sighed, when Julian gave him his paper to do. "She forces you to torture us, right?" The student whispered bawdily.

Julian was at a loss for words for some seconds. Then he leaned into the curly young man and tried to answer back, whispering bawdily, too. "You have NO idea!" His eyes were telling some dirty story of the night.

Blushing all over, Morgan cleared his throat and began to read the challenging exercises. Another battle lost. His deep sigh could be heard all over the classroom, he didn´t care.

The moment Julian sat down behind his desk, his cell phone began to vibrate. He took it out of the trousers, looked at the display and opened Heather´s text with shaking knees.

_I´ll be there._

_Don´t you try to disappoint me again. _

_H._

His heartbeat rose by reading those disturbing words. She tried to boss him like a nobody. While his students were answering the questions, Julian thought about his marriage with Heather. They truly had some good years, but today he realized for the first time that she had always tried to manipulate him her own way. It hadn´t been that obvious, but he should have recognized it. So he was more than just afraid of that meeting, because of standing up to her and telling her not to lie to his house sitter. She probably might freak out, he hardly didn´t want to imagine.

The whole morning he felt like a ghost himself. Just reacting and teaching some kids without knowing what he really did. At lunchtime he finally walked to the faculty room with trembling hands and so much anger in his heart he couldn´t hardly get along with it. When he entered the room, his colleagues smiled friendly. He felt a bit weird and nodded only.

"Julian! Let´s talk about a project we could start together! Will you please take a seat over here?" His younger colleague asked enthusiastically across about three tables.

Julian had a certain respect for Rose, who seemed to have been a bit sweet on him for months. But she never had a chance to win him over. "I can´t, Rose. I´m having a meeting right now."

"It´s a pity. Rain check?" Rose came over and looked him deep into his eyes. "Maybe we should meet at the campus pub in the evening? I got some interesting research for you."

Julian had no nerves for such offensive coming onto him. "We can meet tomorrow here at lunchtime. I know what you´re trying, but I´m not interested, okay? I´m not single, you know?"

Rose blushed all over. "Sorry... I thought... Lunchtime would be okay." She went away with shaking legs herself and Julian thought of maybe having been too rude to her.

When he turned around Heather was just standing right behind him. He nearly panicked of the suddenly warm breath in his neck. "You don´t have to scare me, you know?" he whispered.

Heather just smiled, walking to the next free table and Julian sat down vis-à-vis. To look into her eyes was really difficult for him. She seemed so normal to him, as if nothing bad could ever happen to her.

"So, you wanted to talk to me?" She started the conversation, tearing out her papers and a pen.

"Yeah. You met my house sitter, right?"

"That curly blond-haired women – or should I say college kid? Yes, a few days ago."

Julian got more and more nervous. "Why did you tell her you were a client?"

"I didn´t want you to know that I´m really here before I could talk to you in person."

"For not scaring the hell out of me?" Julian answered a little bit too loud, clenching the teeth.

The whole room was looking at the two of them now. Nobody knew Julian talking like that in front of everybody. Heather wanted to calm down her ex and tried to answer as normal as possible.

"You´re pathetic! Can´t we have a relationship like everybody else around? We´ve got history, remember?"

"As if we didn´t know!" he remarked, being glad that everybody in the room had gotten back to their own affairs in the meantime.

"I´ve been to Ally´s on my own. Did you bring her roses recently?"

Julian knew Marti must have brought them to her grave and had to lie again. "Who else should do? Listen! I don´t want you to get on my nerves any longer, you understand? Keep away from me and my friends. We´re strangers to each other and I´m not willing to allow you to get into my life again. Got it?"

"I know you´re still upset about my accusations. That´s okay. But I really think I should get a second chance, don´t you think so? I was totally broken, out of my mind, when I said all those awful things to you and you know that..." Heather lowered her voice, looking right into Julian´s eyes.

The professor hesitated one moment but got back to his mind immediately. "You called me a loser, a total flop!" He whispered with an evil voice. "I`m the lousiest father you´ve ever met and that I´m not worth being into your life for one second longer. That Ally has never loved me as much as she has loved you. Even if you´re right in some way, you had no right to talk to me like that ´cause I was suffering agonies myself!" Julian had to hold back his tears once more, clearing his throat.

"We had many good years together, Jules. Doesn´t count that anymore? My therapist suggested to coming to terms with Ally´s death, with the so-called accident, with your moment of inattention. I tried to and I´m ready for a new beginning now. Let us be friends again. Time will show..."

Julian got goose bumps all over by hearing her call him _Jules_. Even her voice made him angry and there was definitely no way to start a new beginning of anything. "Your therapist is right. But he didn´t mention that I´m not willing to forgive you. You knocked me down in my darkest hour, that´s unforgivable. We´re through. Ultimately." He stood up and left the faculty room without turning around again.

Heather wanted to answer him but she was at a loss for words after his accusation. While she was still thinking about her next move, Rose came along at her table.

"I´ve never seen you here before – are you new at the law student representative body? My name´s Professor Rose McKenzie and you are?"

"Non of your business, greenhorn!" Heather said biting, leaving the younger professor mouth wide open.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 28.05.2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Already onto the next series? *lol *

I can always pull it off.


	12. Bad Mood

Little late, but hey, did you miss me?

Thanks for the latest review to **iMarieke –** you brightened up my day ^^

So, no more small talk, let´s just read...

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

~ **11** ~

_Bad mood_

Marti opened the door of Julian´s house and he was just waiting for her at the table. Dinner was ready. He had to cook some complicated menu just to get over Heather´s offensive way of trying to get him back. The young student looked surprised at the scenario. Burning candles, wine and music. He seemed to wish a romantic evening.

"Are you alright, Julian? How was the meeting going?" Marti asked with gentle voice.

"Come over here... I need some hugging after all..." Julian still heard Heather calling him _Jules_ again.

They got into a warm embrace and Marti felt him trembling all over. This tall and self-confident man seemed more than fragile to her. "That bad?"

"Even worse." He sighed into her curly hair. "Don´t you ever call me _Jules_, promise?"

"She called you like that? Okay, I´ll never will. But it sounds lovely indeed..."

"Once it _was_. Until she said _You´re a useless piece of shit, Jules_."His heart felt heavy and he thought of having some therapy himself again.

Marti was still in shock because of that opening. No wonder he got hurt by those words. He leaned into her once more and she could feel him tremble all over. "Forget about her. Hope you kicked her ass today?"

"I tried to. Not sure she did realize it. Be careful, okay? I don´t trust her."

"Mhm... Wanna dance?" She looked at him, hoping for a positive answer to make him feel better..

"Later. We should have dinner first. I´ve outdone myself with that menu, you know?"

So they sat down at the table and began to eat. It was a wonderful meal, Julian hadn´t exaggerated. Without talking, they just sat and looked at each other, relaxing and enjoying the silence. When they had finished dining, Marti demanded her dance and Julian was happy to hold her in his arms, swaying around, kissing from time to time and feeling totally safe. Maybe this would really become a romantic evening?

They were kind of surprised when the doorbell suddenly rang late at night. Julian walked to the door while she was cleaning the table, coming back with a wonderful bouquet in his hands, starring at Marti pale all over.

"She sent me flowers." He stammered. "Roses." He sat down frustrated on one of the chairs. "You´re right. She tries to stalk me, to get me nervous and totally freaking out."

Marti had no words. She starred at the bouquet and wanted to search for a vase like expected but Julian stopped her with one more single comment.

"Stay..."

So she came back to him, sat down on his lap, took the flowers out of his hands and trashed them on the floor right beside them. "Fuck´em! It´s okay, Julian. Relax. It´s okay, are you listening?"

He nodded, still pale and trembling all over, and he just was about to answer, when suddenly the phone rang. They both looked scary at his machine and had to keep their heartbeat steady. After the sixth ring tone it started with the usual announcement of being absent. Right after that they had to listen to Heather´s demanding voice again.

"_Julian? I know you´re home. You got my little present, haven´t you? Think about giving me a second chance, please. And don´t forget to read the card, it´s important! We´ll meet at the campus. I´m looking forward to seeing you... Jules? I missed you..."_

Marti hobbled to the machine and pulled the plug. Then she came back to him, took his hand and led him upstairs to their bedroom without saying a word. It wasn´t as easy with the cast still on but she made it without stumbling on the stairs. Julian was not really cooperative and way too scared to say or do anything against her forcing behavior. He just let it happen, thinking of what he may have done wrong this time to be punished with that cruel feeling of panic. His ex-wife was about to knock him out and he didn´t like that at all. Feeling some kind of impotent anger to the bone and suffering agonies once more.

"Let´s go to bed, hon. Don´t think about her anymore, that´s what she wants, you know? Are you okay?"

Julian got back to reality again. "She already did it, Marti. I´m totally out of my mind..." he stammered and let her undress him without any protest.

When they lay together under the blanket, Marti cuddled up to him, whispering gently in his ear. "You maybe should sue out action for an injunction? That could probably stop her, don´t you think so?" Her fingers drawing circles on his chest, she curiously held her breath, while kissing softly his earlap.

Julian sighed into her hair and tried to focus on her question. That would definitely be an option but... "Have you ever stopped a woman by counting on law? Women are way to sneaky to get them controlled by that stupid banning action. I know what I´m talking about, believe me!" He had to calm down himself for not freaking out immediately. Sometimes you are kind of powerless he thought by himself.

"I don´t want to believe that you´re right. There _must_ be a way to stop that!"

"Listen... Heather is able to focus on whatever she wants to, got it? I can´t sue out a new action for an injunction every new day. And she won´t stop either. You are her next and most important goal and I don´t want her to try that on you because I would kill her, if you got frightened or even got hurt." He answered, clenching teeth. "You never really know what a person is able to do, you know?"

Marti kissed him on the cheek and smiled though. "You must really love me, I should be happy as hell. But please, Julian, I don´t want you to commit a crime because of me being attacked or anything else. This would get us separated, too, and she would have won either. Got the point?"

"So, what are we deciding to do? Waiting on her next move? Hiding and fearing all the day long?"

"Give her what she wants. Talk to her, answer the gift and for heaven´s sake, read the card! I´m going to get it..." Marti got out of his embrace and hobbled downstairs to the roses on the floor.

When she found the card between the blossoms, she first took a look at Heather´s words for not getting Julian too frightened by reading them. As the text wasn´t as heavy as she thought, Marti ran back upstairs and showed him the card, while crawling back under the blanket and cuddling up to him again.

Julian read with rising heartbeat. "To a new beginning. I missed you, Julian. Heather." The professor cleared his throat. "Not as weird as I thought. But she´s hiding her true face, I know her. What she actually wanted to say was more like: _May we get lovers again. I missed you, Jules. Honey Bunny. _"

Marti was gasping for breath. "You called her _Honey Bunny_?" She giggled although it wasn´t amusing for Julian. "I´m sorry, but that´s too funny!"

"I was still at High School, when that pet name came up to my mind. Don´t you laugh at me, Marti!" He had to giggle, too. "Okay, it sounds terrible but I was young and she looked so sexy... I´m just a man, you know?" Julian tried to explain and couldn´t stop laughing himself.

Marti smiled and kissed him caring. "I don´t want to know what you´re calling me, do I?"

"Hm... Think you wouldn´t be amused..." He shyly whispered.

"Now you got me curious! So, tell me!"

"Remember, I´ve never called you like that for real, okay?"

"Okay. I´m waiting..."

"You´ll kill me, for sure..."

"Try."

"This came up to my mind after I told you what are the things I like about you, remember that day?"

"Oh yeah! I do. Never heard a more romantic declaration of love..."

"Thanks." Julian smiled all over, remembering their wonderful commitment after that weird discussion... "You deserved it."

"Don´t you deviate from the point!"

"Okay, okay. You´re right, I´m trying to get out of that." He smiled once more. "So... When I´m thinking of you, I call you..." He paused once more, taking some courage. "Well, you´re my _Porsche_ and you´ll always be..." 

Marti burst into laughter. She hardly could breathe anymore. Whatever she had expected, this was much more amusing and flattering than anything else. "Hilarious! And kind of intelligent, I can´t believe that you really believe in this stupid cliche?"

"What cliche?" He asked relieved.

"_That_ one of me being an advertisement for male´s midlife crisis, remember? As if you´d purchased a Porsche? I had been totally flattered, you know? Even though I´d have liked it more if you had chosen a Mercedes for my description." Marti countered smiling all over. "I´m noble or maybe even classy, you know?"

"Not with those clothes you wear sometimes, hon. But I´d like to admit you being precious like a diamond. Is that alright for you?"

"Precious? Okay, think I can live with that. Even if it´s not a car brand." She kissed him again, this time on the lips. It felt wonderful, knowing him totally adoring her.

Julian stopped their kiss. "_Precious Porsche_ – I make that a P.P. – fits perfect, doesn´t it?"

"You´ll call me P.P.? Sounds like _pee-pee_, are you sure you didn´t mean that?" Marti burst into laughter again and he gave her a smack on her back. "Ouch!"

"You can´t think of anything else, can you?" Julian stammered laughing, too. "Wanna hear my answer?" he said, looking demonstratively under the blanket. "We´re ready!" he nodded smiling.

"My namesake and I think about your offer. He told me you´re forcing him to work much more often since we got together. How come?" Her wide grin was charming though.

"It´s all about your chassis, P.P. Just perfect for motoring... Feeling hot already? Would love to take the next gear..."

Marti enjoyed their little game, feeling turned on by his raunchy words. "Ready for take off, Parish Priest? You like your P.P., too?"

Julian grinned amusedly. "God, I love it! Makes me believe that we´re meant to be together." Kissing her passionately, he forgot the fears of Heather´s last strange behavior...

o o o o o o o o o

Vanessa came to the gym, feeling terrible after a bad argument with Red. She had cried and looked a bit disarranged when entering the gym for the latest practice before nationals. Her eyes red and swollen, she didn´t even greet her squad. Everyone felt uncomfortable in her presence.

Alice wanted to get the practice going and went to the coach for some good advice on some of their flying actions. But Vanessa didn´t want to listen to her, impatiently shouting at her in front of everybody. And if that wasn´t enough the Volleyball girls showed up to engross the gym for practicing.

"It´s our time, you have to leave the scene!" Alice ruled like a real captain, not thinking of Savannah or Vanessa being still present, too.

The usual fight started up and since Vanessa wasn´t able to arbitrate, Lewis and Marti took over her part while Savannah was looking after the worn out coach. Lewis had to keep Alice from beating up one of the volleyball girls and Marti tried to calm down the other girl, who was trying to kick Alice with her feet. It was a real miracle that it didn´t end up in a total mess, fighting each other with physical power.

"God, I hate that bitches!" Alice screamed, leaving the gym and pushing Lewis away from her. "We should better have killed them!"

"Now you´ve made yourself a real enemy!" The girl of the volleyball team screamed back at her across the whole gym.

Lewis and Marti pushed Alice forwards, not letting her answer again. "Ouch! You´re hurting me, dammit!" she complained about the undesired ending of the fight.

"It´s enough, Alice! That was really unprofessional and Vanessa will have to excuse your immature acting once more. We´re _so_ close to lose our sponsorship, did you forget?" Lewis tried to get her back into reality. "I can´t believe that you did this, for heaven´s sake!"

"Shut up! You never open your mouth, coward!"

While Lewis was walking away with an uncomfortable feeling Alice, Marti left the practice with some kind of helplessness. She wanted to talk to Savannah immediately for getting to know some more about Vanessa´s bad mood. The coach seemed so depressive, Marti really worried about her. Back at the dorm, she waited for her friend and thought about her own problems with Heather. The whole world seemed to crash down these days.

"The baby´s from Derek, she said..." Savannah came in, closing the door hectically. "Red totally freaked out and wanted her to have an abortion. This is so cruel!" Upcoming tears in her eyes were not to hide anymore.

"Red Raymond wanted her to have an abortion?" Marti asked rhetorical, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can´t believe that... He´s a smart guy and the baby´s totally innocent!"

"Vanessa is at the end of her tether. She nearly fainted, I had to take her to the doctor. This is unbelievable..."

"We´ll lose without her, you know that?"

"Definitely. Someone has to talk to Red, I think. He must be totally gone out of character."

"Let me try to fix that for her... How could Vanessa be so sure she´s pregnant of Derek?"

"She told me the gynecologist re-dated the date of birth two weeks earlier. So it must have been Derek who gave the little wonder to her."

"But that hasn´t been proved, right?" Marti wanted to know.

"Not really, why do you ask?"

"Okay, I´m going to talk to Red Raymond. He must be at his office right now, mustn´t he?" In a real hurry she left the dorm to head for the football coach, she thought of being an honest and caring man.

On her way she called Julian on his cell phone to ask for the legal situation on that problem. He answered like she had expected him to and actually thought of her being the secret woman she talked about. "No, I´m not the one who´s pregnant, Parish. Sad about that?" she smiled, already standing in front of Red´s office.

"I´ll lose whatever I´m going to answer, right?" Julian sighed, smiling all over. His former student would become a famous attorney at law some day.

Marti nodded. "You think so?"

"Yep. Wanna hear my answer?"

"Sure, I do!"

"I´d love to have a kid with you some day but we´re having so much trouble in our lives right now and we´re still working on our relationship. On the other side I would have been happy for you and me, that is assuming me being the father."

"Who else to be considered?" Marti got upset.

"Good to know!" Julian laughed. "Just kidding, okay?"

"You´re evil. Gotta hang up. Have to talk to Red."

"Red Raymond?" Julian asked excitedly.

"Yep. Bye, Parish. See you tomorrow!" She hung up before he could answer again.

Julian looked at his cell phone and worried about her last sentence. Red and Vanessa would be the ones then. Gladly old enough to handle it, he thought by himself.

Marti knocked at Red´s door and walked in immediately. He wasn´t alone. The new athletic director was with him and Marti stammered a brief _hello_. Dean Laverne was kind of dangerous in her eyes. She was able to smell the anger.

"Miss Perkins, hello! What can I do for you?" Red answered friendly, looking quite glad to be released out of his conversation with Mr. Laverne.

"I have to talk to you privately, coach."

The athletic director smiled, gave her his hand to say hello and looked at Red with a certain evilness in his eyes. "We´re going to get this done later on, are we?"

Red simply nodded and Dean left the office, grinning evil. When the door was closed, the coach sighed relieved. "Thank you so much! This guy can ruin your whole day, if you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I know what you mean. He´s a snake."

"Exactly. He tries to undermine my position. So what do you want to talk about? Think you´re not about to join the football team, are you?" he asked smiling.

"No, for sure. It´s about our coach, Vanessa..."

"Have a seat, please." Red pointed on the chair in front of his desk, looking curiously at the young student.

"Thank you." Marti sat down, not knowing how to begin this intimate discussion. "We´re worried about her, Mr. Raymond. She feels sick all the time and she told us what you want her to do."

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Make the baby disappear?"

"She told you I want her to have an abortion?" he was wondering.

"Right. Because the baby probably isn´t yours." Marti felt awful, talking about those things to an actually grown-up.

"I _suggested_ to have an abortion, I´ve never insisted on that option."

"You didn´t?"

"I don´t think so."

"May I speak honestly?"

"Sure. I hope so."

"Okay, the fact that the doctor dated the date of delivery two weeks earlier doesn´t mean that... You know what I ´m about to tell you?"

"It doesn´t mean she got pregnant two weeks earlier. I know that."

"So, you would like her to carry the baby?"

"I only said she has to decide herself, what she´s feeling inside is the most important thing. And I´ll have to deal with it."

"Sounds fair. But why does she feel that depressive then? She must have misunderstood."

"Maybe she doesn´t want the baby herself? At the top of her career, you know? I´m not going to tell her what to do. I want her to be happy with her decision."

"She probably wants you to stand by her side to do the right thing?"

"I will. But I understand she might didn´t get that point. Thank you for talking to me, Marti. I´m glad she has good friends to take care of her. My ex-wife showed up recently and we have to worry a lot, you know?"

"I know all about ex-wives, believe me!" Marti cleared her throat. "So, tell her you´re going to support her. She needs to know."

"I will. And, Marti? I owe you one, keep that in mind."

Marti smiled, standing up and leaving the office feeling totally relieved. The fact Red owing her one wasn´t that bad, she thought by herself. Back at her dorm, she picked up Savannah and they both headed off for some fun in the pub together with their friends. Dan would be happy to meet her without Morgan by her side. Even he was still angry about her being together with that boring young pre-law student.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 05.06.2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

It´s getting more and more worse...

Hope you like it anyway.

See you next week =)


	13. Meet and Greet

I´m a little late again, I know!

Have to thank my beta reader once more for an endless discussion about a possible adverb of _evil_.

You´ll read my/our solution in the text. After surfing through the whole internet, we haven´t found an answer on that question ;-)

**Thanks to all the readers and to the last reviewer, too. Always makes me smile a lot.**

Btw – I somehow tried to get my act together with the story shown on TV in this chapter. Let´s hope you like it. But you won´t tell me anyway. You´re looking after your own business, I get that. It´s (not) attractive. – To keep quoting the show ^^

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

~ 12 ~

_Meet and __G__reet_

"You know what I told you?" Julian watched Marti dressing herself for the visit at prison. She was about to meet her dad for real and he could imagine how nervous she must be.

"Yep. Keep cool and don´t expect too much. I got it!"

"After all, I don´t know if whether I´m able to help him, you know that, right?"

"I do. But we have to give it a try. Let´s talk to him. Maybe he can lighten up some darkness?"

"You´re trembling..." Julian remarked softly, embracing her. "I´ll be with you..."

"Thank you. If I hadn´t got you... I´d never have had the chance to meet him." Kissing him tenderly, she tried to calm down a bit.

"I know. Let´s go! They´re not waiting. Rex isn´t allowed to have visitors that often."

When they entered the prison, Marti felt terrible. Everything seemed dark and frightening to her. The fact that her dad lived here for years, made her feel awful once more. Especially in case of him being innocent. Julian took her hand and made her feel more comfortable. She used to visit Travis once, but now that she was going to see her dad it felt totally different.

They sat down in a special room and waited for Mr. Perkins to appear. When he came in, Marti got really shocked by the fact him looking just like her new found sister Deidra. He sat down across the table and Julian introduced Marti and himself.

"I know who you are. Wanda gave me a picture of you." Rex said, looking curiously at her.

"Wanda was here?" the young girl was wondering. Julian took her hand on the table to quiet her. "What?" she said being pissed off, looking punitively at her boyfriend.

"Mr. Perkins, your daughter and I wanted to talk to you about your case. Is that okay for you?"

"You´re a couple, aren´t you? Never thought one of my daughters could be together with some elder lawyer." He smiled amusedly.

"So, you´ve been talking to Wanda recently?" Marti wanted to know, hardly holding back herself.

"You´re much prettier than on her photograph..." Rex remarked, looking at her in some kind of surprise.

"Thanks. Answer the question, please."

"She paid me a visit last week. The first time ever. I was kind of shocked, you know? She looks awesome... Just like then..."

"What did she want?" Julian got to the point.

"She wanted me to be kind to her daughter in case she appears here because of you helping her, counselor. And you really did. I´m impressed."

Marti tried to hide her feelings but she was so nervous by sitting right in front of her dad, she could hardly breathe. Julian knew about it. He decided to do the right thing.

"I´m going to leave you alone for five minutes. The two of you have to talk privately, I think." A look at Marti´s face made him smile. So he left them, hoping for some good vibes for his young girlfriend.

"I wanted to meet you." Marti started the conversation with trembling fingers. "Wanda made me believe that you´re dead and now that I found out..." Her voice broke up.

"I don´t know what she told you about me, but I always loved you. And I´m innocent. Your mum never wanted to believe that. They told her about my imprisonment because of her being the only adult relative left after Judith´s death... She was my second wife... But Wanda never stepped by – until last week."

"I found some of your songs written down. Deidra and I played them all. You were a good songwriter. What happened to you? I mean... I´ve studied the whole case and I just don´t get it."

Rex sighed heavily. "I was stoned. You know, after Judith´s death in that car crash I felt totally lost. I´ve always been a drug addict and so it came back to me."

Julian went in again. "Go on, I´m trying to make some notes on your story." he said quietly, sitting down next to Marti.

"One day I took home that woman – she was just one of the bitches I used to fuck to forget now being alone with my kid. We had some more drugs and... we fucked. Then I fell asleep and when I woke up again, she was dead. Strangled. I ran away, totally freakin´ out."

Julian lifted his head, looking at Marti. She seemed to be okay, so he asked his question. "The woman was found dead at your home, right? There had been no violation or robbery according to the papers."

"I don´t remember anything. It must have happened while I was sleeping."

"How should anyone had come in without a key?" Marti thought loudly. "Didn´t you lock up the door?" she asked.

"We stumbled into my house and that´s all I remember. I probably didn´t even close the door."

"There hadn´t been any attempts in proving your innocence. How come?"

"Wanna hear my theory?" Rex looked into Julian´s eyes. "I´ve been a fucking drug addict. No one cared about me. They had convicted the murderer, that had been comfortable."

"Is this going to be my future?" Marti said to Julian, lifting her eyebrows. "I mean, do I have to re-open billions of cases like this or Travis´ one? You never told me about that."

Julian smiled at her. "Maybe. Depends on how you´re feeling with doing that kind of work. I love your attitude, you know that. So, back to topic." he looked at Rex again. "We´ll try to find the missing pieces of the puzzle, if you want me to."

"I can´t afford you."

Marti felt responsible. "He´s doing it for me. You don´t have to pay for it."

"Man, he must really love you! By the way – who wouldn´t? You´re beautiful and intelligent... Wanda did a pretty good job, you can tell her."

That was the moment Marti couldn´t hold back her tears any longer. She excused herself and went towards the door, wiping hot tears out of her eyes.

Julian felt like having to do something. "She´ll come back soon for a visit, Mr. Perkins. We gotta go now. Don´t worry, we´ll get the ball rolling."

"I don´t know what to say to that... Thank you." Rex seemed quite overwhelmed.

"She´s definitely your daughter." Julian smiled all over because of his similar answer. "I´m going to take her home now."

"Yep. Goodbye, Mr. Parish. Marti?" Rex called her name to say goodbye to her, too.

Marti turned around, still with watered eyes. "Wanna let Wanda know about all that?" she asked carefully.

"Whatever you think is the best thing to do. You´re perfect, like she told me."

Again Marti had to fight bursting into tears. "Bye... Dad..." she answered, disappearing through the door, with rolling tears all over her cheeks.

Julian nodded goodbye. "I´m really happy for you, Mr. Perkins." Then he left him, too. Taking a deep breath outside in the hallway, looking for Marti, who had already been gone.

They met outside the prison on the street where Marti sat on one of the benches, trying to fix herself by using a handkerchief. Julian felt responsible for what had happened and sat down next to his girlfriend, taking her hand, stroking her fingers and looking at her tear stained face.

"I know you´re happy. He´s quite likable, isn´t he?" he whispered carefully.

"Hm... I´m sorry. Didn´t want to cry in front of you..." Marti put away the handkerchief, sighing. "Kind of a childish behavior..."

"Not at all. He´s your dad. You have every right to be sentimental, okay? I appreciate you being not as cold as ice."

"Really? Thought you might be not a happy bunny over my reaction. I mean, it wasn´t lawyer-like, was it?"

He embraced her spontaneously, kissing her curly hair. "You foolish girl... I´ve been the lawyer, you´ve been the daughter of the client. Nothing else. Okay? I´m very proud of you. To meet your dad for the first time under those circumstances must have been very difficult for you. So don´t you dare to excuse your tears or whatever else, got it?"

How to hold back the tears when he tells her such nice things? Marti struggled once more. "I don´t want you to feel like being my second dad. But thanks for your understanding." she snuffled, looking for the handkerchief again. "Do you believe he´s innocent?"

"I don´t know. But there are a lot of things going wrong at court. The wrong jury, the wrong judge and the wrong attorney. You know about that. He obviously had an assigned counselor who wanted to get it done quickly. Let´s go home and think about some weird details in his case, okay?"

Marti nodded. She was glad to have him as her boyfriend. "Okay. I just don´t get Wanda having visited him in prison after all these years just because of me..."

"Your mum is a wonderful person, Marti. Don´t blame her for having had secrets, okay? She cares about you."

"She also believed in him being guilty. Guess she´s never had doubts about it."

"You´re not walking in her shoes, honey. Rex left her with a baby girl on her own and he never came back. Then she heard of him being arrested for murder years later, after he lost his second wife of whom she obviously didn´t know."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I am, she would have told me."

Marti interwined their fingers, standing up for leaving. "I have to see the doctor and later go practicing. Vanessa would be not amused if I missed it again. We go for nationals this weekend, you remember?"

"I do. Gonna miss you..." Julian smiled, putting his arm around her shoulder and kissing her softly on the cheek. "Is tonight okay for a girl over?"

"Thought you won´t ask since I´m getting off the cast today!" she smiled back at him. "Morgan still offers to back me."

"He is jealous, I can tell! You have no idea what conversation we had in class!" Julian shook his head, remembering the mocking. "He is in love with you and you should not use him anymore."

"So, what else can we do?"

"Let Wanda back you from now on. You stay at home for being by her side since Rex is about to go on trial once more."

"You´re evil but I like that!" she kissed him, grinning devilishly.

o

"Miss Monroe?"

Savannah turned around to look who´s been calling her name. "Professor Rathbone..." She gave Marti a love tap on the back and waited for her teacher to talk to her.

"I´m still waiting for your paper. Tomorrow is the last day, you know that?" Heather was standing in front of the two girls now, looking curiously at her Hellcat dresses. "You´re cheering?"

"We do. This is my roommate Marti." Heather looked her right in the eye and Marti felt absolutely terrible. "I know about the deadline. You´ll get my paper right in time, I promise." Savannah remarked, feeling seriously awful for her friend being examined that intense.

Heather´s glance got back to Savannah. "You´re about to fail class, you know that?"

"I know. We have to head on now, just late for special practice."

"See you in class. WITH the paper!" Heather said demanding. "No second chance!" She went away on her high heels, turning around once again. "Nice to meet you, Marti!"

Savannah pulled her away, breathing heavily. "Come on, you have to look quite innocent!"

Marti could hardly breathe herself. Heather´s glance had been totally disturbing. "She knows. She knows! Oh my God, she knows!" Stumbling upstairs, Marti was about to freak out immediately.

"You can´t be sure about that! Come on, we have to undress ourselves and change clothes. I even haven´t the slightest idea how to manage that fucking paper!"

"Savannah!" Marti got shocked once more by those dirty words out of Savannah´s mouth. "You promised not to fail again, remember? Need some help?"

"I do, obviously! History is as annoying as biology. I can´t remember all those dates and happenings! She wants me to write about the Civil War and its reasons."

"Have you ever seen _North and South_? That´s all you have to write down. Superficially considered."

"You mean that TV series with Patrick Swayze?"

"Yep. It may help you to get more interested in our history."

"It is TV, Marti! Not reality! I can´t believe that you gave me this advice..."

"Give it a try. You have your dorm for yourself tonight. I´m with Julian again, officially with Wanda since we didn´t want to use Morgan anymore."

"He asked me whether Julian and you probably broke up. He´s jealous as hell, I can tell!" Savannah grinned mischievously.

"What did you say?"

"You wish!" she laughed. "You should have seen his face! This guy is helplessly in love with you and you have to make him clear that there won´t be any chance for him to win you over. That would be fair, don´t you think so?"

"Go and watch Patrick Swayze!" Marti murmured and went off to her next lesson. Morgan was a big problem, too. Seemed her life would never get some rest.

o

When Marti entered Julian´s house in the evening, he sat in the kitchen, preparing their dinner. She nearly had a bad conscious about the fact him cooking all the time. But he seemed not to be irritated about that.

"Hey! What´s up for dinner, Parish Priest?"

"Some filled pepper and a hateful message on the machine for dessert." Julian answered seriously.

Marti got pale all over. "What did she say?" she whispered anxiously.

"Go and listen to it yourself!" His hand desperately clinging onto the knife. "I´d like to kill her, really!"

Marti went to the machine and pressed the button. Her heartbeat rose immediately.

"_Hi Jules! It´s me, again. Just wanted to let you know that I´m about to have a party at my new house. You´re invited and you can bring whoever you want to. I mean, in case you have a girlfriend. __There will be some other university staff, you´ll feel comfortable. By the way, I want to rearrange Ally´s grave. Just plant some new flowers – the current ones are really awful. Who did that to our little girl? Hope to see you Friday evening. Lexington drive __374. I´m waiting for you to discuss the new decorations of the grave. Bye!"_

"_I_ did that flowers." Marti murmured disappointed. "She knows about us, definitely."

Julian looked at her, sighing heavily. "Don´t take that too serious, P.P. She´s a bitch and I won´t go to that party either."

"Sure, you will. You have to keep her calm. To watch or control her next moves. I´m at nationals, so you´ll have time to investigate. We have to know what´s going on."

"You really want me to go to her party? Can you imagine what she´ll try to do? Win me back or whatever devilishly may grow in her head? NO way! I can´t see her again. Definitely not."

"Julian, we have no choice."

"Sure, we have. I won´t let her rule my life, end of discussion!"

Marti watched him setting the table as if nothing important was left to be talked about. He seemed angry, so she didn´t try to force him again. "Anything new about my dad?"

"Sit down. Dinner is served. I did some interesting research." His eyes were still dark and Marti sat down next to him over the edge. "Some wine?" he asked courteously, holding the bottle right away in his hand.

"Thanks. So, what did you find out?"

Julian served the wine and began to eat. So did Marti. "Tastes good, doesn´t it?" he remarked quietly.

"Very good. You´re a fantastic cook."

"No wonder. Had to bring myself down again. Thanks to Heather I´m going to start a new career."

"Julian..." Marti´s heart was about to burst.

"Okay, you wanted to know what I found out about your dad, right? The victim named Goldie Everett, as we all know, wasn´t the usually bitch we thought of. What they never wrote down in any paper is the fact that she was a well-known whore. I made some calls and one of my finks told me she was one of those girls who lead a real normal life and when it gets dark, they head off for their second job: prostitute theirselves. He only found out because of her photograph which he was showing around, asking people on the street if they might know her, well let´s face the truth – he did on _Burlington Rd_."

Marti knew that address very well, who doesn´t? "So, she led a double life?"

"Yep. My fink said her pimp is one of the biggest in town. So-called Eddie B. Cole. Ever heard of him?"

"Am I looking that cheap?"

"Well, not at all, honey." he grinned evil-eyed. "Listen, we have to do some research on his alibi for the date of crime. Plus I´m going to look for some evidence for him having had contact with his working girl that day. They must have saved some forensic material which we can use for our case. Like I said, they didn´t try to find the truth about the murder. It´s time to re-open the case. Are you ready for some dirty reveal?"

"Does Rex already know?"

"Yeah. He was glad to hear somebody´s willing to help him."

"We have to tell Wanda..."

"Sure. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No. She will take it like a real hero. Maybe we can change her mind about my dad this way."

"He´s still a drug addict, don´t you forget that."

"He´s clean now."

Julian sighed. "Maybe... I really hope so."

"So, what about the party?" Marti got back to their personal problem.

"I´m not going."

"Julian, please!"

"Trust me, it´s better, I stay away from her."

"Okay, we need a spy then..."

"You´re crazy."

"No, I´m not. Someone of the university staff you know maybe will appear on the party?"

"You´re kidding, right?" Julian asked totally shocked of her thoughts. "I´m not going to involve someone else in that game of intrigues and more."

Marti sighed heavily. "We have to do something, Julian! Anything would be better than just sit and wait for whatever the fuck she´s planning on doing!"

He knew that she was right. The better he watches Heather, the more he´ll be safe. "Okay, I´m going to her fucking party! But I´m not going alone. She wanted a girlfriend, she´ll have one!" He thought of some women he could ask him to do that favor but Marti didn´t seem to be happy with that option. "What?" he asked impatiently.

"You know what."

"Why am I always losing our arguments? Can you tell me?"

"Because I´m right. You´ll go alone and you´ll try to give her a false sense of security, just like you´re able to as an attorney at law. Got it?"

"You want me to make her believe that she´s probably got the chance to win me over again?" he complained, starring at her in disbelief. "You have no idea what she´s capable of!"

"I want you to make her believe the two of you can be friends again. Nothing else."

"On your own responsibility! Don´t you dare to complain in case she goes too far!" Julian remarked, watching her seriously. What a horrible imagination!

"I won´t. Just make her your friend again. You can do this, I know."

"It´ll cost me every nerve I have. And more!"

Marti looked at him, proud of having such a brave man by her side. "We´re going to kick her ass, aren´t we?"

"Hopefully we are." Julian pressed her hand on the table and smiled encouraging. "I´ve never wanted you to get involved into such fatal circumstances. And I´m about to worry of losing you..."

She had to think of Savannah´s arguing and sighed heavily. "We have to deal with it, I knew it from the start. And you won´t lose me on that crazy woman´s behavior. I promise."

"You don´t understand what I wanted to tell you. I´d rather let you go than take the risk of you getting hurt seriously, Marti. Even if it would break my heart..."

"Okay..." she whispered, totally overwhelmed by his caring words. Her eyes filled up with tears again and she really had to control herself. "Wanna go out with me?"

"Now? Where should we go? I´m still some teacher."

"Just taking a walk under the stars. Fuck them all..." She wanted to be with him, close and in a romantic way.

As he felt the same Julian decided to make another try in public. "How about a short late night trip to town?"

"Let´s go!" she smiled happily. "Oh, hold on! Are you a shopping guy?"

"Depends." Julian grinned.

"On what?"

"Who´s with me. I´d love to go shopping with you. You´re allowed to pick one piece, whatever it may be, I´m going to pay. Is that an acceptable offer?"

"I´m going to make you proud of me. How about some sexy dress?"

"Better sexy underwear..."

"I thought of some elegant clothes to let me star by your side."

"You don´t need any elegant clothes to star by my side, honey. You´re the star itself."

"Oh, Julian! You know what I mean!"

"Okay, compromise. We get ourselves something to wear every day and something to wear in the evening. Together, as considered."

"I´m in. Come on! It´s late. We´ll have to hurry."

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 12.06.2011

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	14. What the hell is going on?

A new chap folks...

Thanks for still reading.

o o o o o o o o o o o o

~ **13 **~

_What the hell is going on?_

The squad was away for nationals and Julian made his homework. Rex and Travis both needed his support and so he had to work until late in the evening on Friday. He crawled into an empty bed at six in the morning and closed his eyes, still thinking of Marti. She brightened up his days and filled his lonely nights. Whenever he had compared her to his long time marriage, she had won. Even Ally told him to take care of her. He dreamt of his little girl giving him her blessing for the new relationship. So, he was willing to do everything to protect his wonderful caring girl friend.

The next day Marti called him just before he had to leave for the fucking party at his ex-wife´s house. She told him they maybe wouldn´t be able to cheer because of having some weird streps around. The whole squad had to get tested before leaving. She also wanted to know how he felt right now before the horrible party at Heather´s new home. Julian tried to calm her down and spoke good-humored. When they hung up, he felt his knees trembling like some flowers in the wind. But he knew for sure Marti didn´t believe him not to be nervous at all and to feel okay instead. It was all said when she kissed him through the phone and wished him good luck for his investigation. They´d be with each other in their minds.

He was late for the party, consciously. When he arrived almost everyone seemed to be there already...

o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Where´s Lewis?" Vanessa yelled through the whole hall. "We can´t cheer without him, since Savannah´s not coming back to help us!"

They had some of them tested positive before and so only seventeen students were waiting to perform for nationals but they had to be eighteen participants to perform.

Savannah had to leave because of her sister being in labor four weeks before the actual date. Marti was thinking about Julian´s ex-wife, the party and Deidra, who simply tried to push her away once more. Alice had to think of some revenge because of the volleyball girls who fingered her to the dean which had caused more than one punishment to her. She felt terribly misunderstood. Her throat wasn´t feeling that well, too. Vanessa still hoped to get the girls together, but actually she had to struggle with her pregnancy and the fact of feeling ill most of the time. Red fortunately had talked to her again and she was glad her students had tried to fix her problem. The whole squad was falling apart for their own personal concerns and now even Lewis, their all time rock, had disappeared for hours.

When he finally came back just in time they were about to leave for the stage. Suddenly they were told to get disqualified because of still trying to perform with members being infected with streps. Someone must have denounced them to the jury. New tests had to be made and Alice knew exactly she would test positive this time. It was definitely over. No nationals to win. In the end they performed just for themselves, for feeling like winners without having been part of the competition. Real euphoria took possession of everyone and they got back from Atlanta with some wide grin on their faces. It deserved a party to celebrate their unofficial victory and so they did their best to make it a memorable evening.

The party did go well. Marti and Deidra cleared their problems of being sisters forever, Savannah and Dan were talking about her sister Charlotte´s newborn son Joseph all the time, Vanessa got a call to see the athletic director immediately and therefore refused to pay Red a visit. Alice could hardly believe Savannah was going to make her the new captain of the Hellcats because of personal family stress with the disappearance of her dad and the new baby nephew to care for. Everything seemed to put in order by itself...

o

"Thank you for coming, Julian. May I introduce you to some of my friends?" Heather smiled all over and took him away to her closest friends he didn´t ever get to know in the past.

For about half an hour she really knew how to behave. The barbecue went fine. Julian walked around the guests, talking to some of the professors he´s already known. Then his ex-wife came back to him, took him inside her house to show him her new home. He wasn´t comfortable with this but he had promised to make her his friend again, so he tried to do his best.

"Kind of a big house for only one person?" he remarked ironically, looking upstairs to the big open balcony on the first floor.

"Well, I´m glad you said that. Since you´ve come alone I thought of you being as lonely as I am, right?"

"I´m not feeling lonely."

"Well, I am. Would you mind spending some of your free time with your remorseful ex-wife? First we should talk about Ally´s grave, you know? How about meeting there on the cemetery for some brainstorming?"

Julian got goosebumps all over when thinking of meeting her alone at the graveyard. "What is it you don´t like about the present decorations? Ally loves them."

"I don´t think so. Too much and too mature. She´s a little kid, remember?"

"Well, you´re allowed to suggest anything, I´m going to think it over."

"Let´s meet tomorrow evening in front of the cemetery. I´m going to show you some ideas of mine."

"Can´t we discuss that via phone? I´m willing to allow you to manage a new decoration after the current one has been withered."

"Shouldn´t we ask Ally before changing anything? I know she´ll talk to us from above."

"Well, go and ask her. I know what she´d say."

"Really?" Heather went upstairs and wanted him to follow with a special gesture. "So, tell me!"

Julian didn´t move at all and rested downstairs. "She´d be happy with anything. Just don´t bring her balloons, okay?"

"Come on! I´m not stupid!" she smiled. "I wanna show you the bedrooms! There are a few of them! Maybe I´m having kids again? Do you want to have children again?" Her smile made him shivering once more. "Give it a try, please!"

He shook his head. "Sorry, Heather, I can´t. It´s late and we shouldn´t leave your guests for such a long time, don´t you think so?"

"Someone´s waiting for you at home?"

"No, but that´s none of your business."

"You´re invited to a sleepover in case you´re too drunk or whatever else may cross your way..."

Again she tried.

"Got some work at home. Cases without payment, so I have to do it quick."

She came back downstairs, hugging him immediately. "Always the romantic..."

Julian pushed her away, looking not amused. "Don´t try this again, okay? I´m going to be your friend or colleague, nothing else. And I have to leave now," he said dryly, turning around to head off for somewhere else. Just away from her.

"You ´re in a relationship, right?" she asked with icy voice behind his back.

Julian turned around once more. "None of your business, I said."

"So you are. I bet it´s someone who´s totally boring like you, maybe a lawyer, too?"

"Not at all. I´m picking up some younger cheerleaders lately!" he tried to make a joke without laughing himself. "Good night. See you at the campus."

"Whoever she may be, she won´t satisfy you at all. Good night, Jules!"

He just winced and went on through the door outside in the garden. Her sharp voice had frightened him like usual. This wasn´t the result Marti would like to hear but he had tried hard. With a simple nod he said goodbye to some of his colleagues of the teaching staff and left the party with trembling knees. What a wasted evening.

Back back home again, he sat down behind his desk and thought about his running cases. Work had always been the best method to get him back to what´s important in his life. Only this time he couldn´t focus on the paragraphs, he just had to think about Heather´s answers. She must know something, he thought by himself. There was that typical glance of her making him think of already been trapped by her. If there hadn´t been Ally he wouldn´t have talked to her at all.

Suddenly he heard the key turning around the door and Julian lifted his head. Marti came in, tears all over her cheeks, flying into his arms immediately. He held her tight, felt her shivering all over and thought of some bad jokes of his ex-wife on her.

"Marti... What happened to you? Is this about... the Hellcats?"

"Forget the squad! We had been disqualified. It´s Deidra. She lied to me. Again!" Marti pressed her body on Julian´s, sobbing.

Standing in the middle of the room he wanted to get her on the couch to relax. "Okay... Wanna tell me in detail?"

"She knew he was alive! I answered her phone call a few minutes ago. I thought we´re sisters. And she didn´t tell me about it!" Her voice sounded as broken as one can be.

"Have you already told her that you found him in jail?"

"No, I haven´t, yet." Her eyes looking kind of surprised.

"Maybe she doesn´t know about that fact or would have told you soon?"

"Maybe Rex didn´t phone her that often? And now he tried again because of you taking over his case?" The young girl tried to excuse her sister´s lie, wiping away the tears.

Julian smiled. "Maybe... You should go and talk to her."

"You´re right. I´m going to give her one more chance. I will see her, tomorrow. So... How was the party?" Marti kissed him softly on the cheek. "Tell me everything!"

Julian hesitated for a single moment. "Think it was okay. She didn´t try to rape me, that´s all," he answered with a sigh.

Although Marti was still wiping tears off her cheeks, she had to laugh because of his dry comment. "You´re so funny, Parish! What did she do to you?"

"Nothing special, it was just her voice and her glances and the fact that she wanted to meet me at Ally´s to talk about the deco. Oh yeah, and she thought of me having some relationship with some boring lawyer like me."

"So, what did you answer?" Marti was really curious about his excuse.

"I said I had been going for young cheerleaders lately."

Marti gasped for breath. "Oh my fucking god! Are you trying to kill us?"

"You have no idea how she´s able to make you that angry! Thankfully she thought I was joking."

"Are you sure about that?"

"To be honest? No. If I were her I would already know about you." Julian sighed heavily. "Think she really does..."

"What are we doing now?"

"Nothing. We can´t do anything. Let´s just go on working – or, in your case, studying – and pretending that she´s not there. I´m tired of thinking about her, we should live our life instead. Don´t you think so?"

"Okay. It´s your decision."

"There´s just one thing..."

"Huh?"

"Would you mind sleeping at your dorm tonight?"

"You´re kicking me out?" she complained smiling.

"Right. We better be careful. She might spy on me..."

"So, that is what you´re calling living our lives?"

Julian sighed again. She had won. "Well, I guess so..."

Marti put her forefinger on his lips. "Not before you did what you were expected to do," she whispered.

The next thing he felt was her warm kiss on his mouth. How to resist that passionate argument? Julian leaned over her, pressing her down on the couch with the weight of his whole body. To feel her quite near to him was like having been released from torture. When finally their tongues met he knew again he was alive. They undressed themselves without stopping to kiss several times until Marti suddenly paused for a moment, looking in his eyes full of passion and longing.

"Did she try to kiss you?" she whispered with a certain insecurity.

Julian ran his fingers through her hair. "No, I wouldn´t have let her at all." he said caring.

"Anything else I should know about?"

"Just a hug, nothing else. I pushed her away. You don´t have to worry, darling. And it´s been you who sent me to that party, remember?"

"I didn´t realize that I could get that jealous..." Marti smiled, blushing. "She´s quite good-looking and intelligent, too. So, what makes me that special to you?"

"Same question again?" he smiled, whispering in her ear. "Your heart, Marti. Your gigantic heart. She´s never had one, I found out recently."

Her hand stroking gently down his cheek, resting at his chin to fondle his lips with her thumb, she was just drowning in his eyes. Feeling his warm breath upon her face, she couldn´t resist kissing him in a real romantic way again. This was not a moment for passion but for romantic tenderness and faith. Everything happened so slowly and with so much fondness that they even didn´t recognize the phone ringing again several times.

"Do I really have to leave now?" Marti asked quietly when he slipped out of her to bin the condom.

Julian came back to her, holding her tight in his arms again. "I can´t stand watching you leave. Forgive me, I´m weak..."

"I´m going for the weak, didn´t you know?"

"Let´s go upstairs, I wanna keep you here forever in opposition to all arguments..." Julian answered smiling. " You're a drug, Marti – a sweet, irresistible drug to flee reality whenever I want to. And you won´t let me get clean, will you?"

"I love you, too."

o

Marti returned to the dorm early in the morning to change her clothes before heading off for class. She got off her bike and ran towards the door of the Hellcat´s home, when suddenly she stopped and yelled out loud. Resting in total agony and disgust. Her heart beating like a drum, her body shaking all over, she couldn´t hardly move herself. Her yell even had been heard inside and so Lewis came to the door and opened it, looking curiously at his friend standing outside. Then he realized why she screamed that loud and did the same himself.

"Oh my fucking god!" he stammered, looking on the floor in front of them. "Who the fuck did this?"

Alice and Savannah stumbled to the door, too, taking a look at what there was actually happening. Savannah just ran away to the bathroom, puking her whole breakfast into the toilet. Alice cried like a baby, clinging to Lewis arm. Marti herself still had to gasp for breath, being at a loss for words.

"Don´t touch anything!" Lewis said cleverly. "I´m going to search for Red. This has to be taken serious. Someone wants to tell us something. I´m back in a few minutes!"

Marti and Alice went in, closing the door with trembling hands. They looked at each other with eyes wide open. Savannah came back out of the bathroom, pale all over. They sat down in the kitchen to tell the rest of the squad what there was lying in front of their door.

"Those volleyball girls must be really crazy..." Alice remarked shivering. "I wanted to beat them up, now look what they´ve done to us! A real horror and threatening like hell!"

"How do you know that this had been done by the volleyball girls?" Marti asked doubting.

Alice bristled with anger. "I met them outside last night after our little party was over. They tried to frighten me again. _We´ll win, wait and see what you get _had been the last they shouted at me, while I was leaving. Who else would do such crappy thing to us? Can´t you see the signs? _Hell to the cat_ is written on the paper sticking under the knife!"

There was no doubt, _girl´s war_ had begun. When Red came over together with Vanessa, they were as disgusted as their students. "Someone has to call the caretaker to let it disappear!" Red ordered.

"Wait! We should call the police first. That´s a real threat and they probably could save some fingerprints on the knife or something like that?" Marti just thought of some evidence to prove the volleyball girls had been guilty.

Red seemed to be not that convinced about calling the police on a simple student prank, but he looked into Marti´s begging eyes and finally nodded. "Okay, let's call the cops!"

They dressed up for class while waiting for the officers. All of them in shock and not really amused about the disgusting present in front of their door. Never before someone had told them about such an awful try to get rid of the Hellcats as a squad. Marti just wanted Alice not to leave the house alone anymore but she didn´t want to follow her advice.

"Please, Alice, we´re not real good friends, but as a pre-law student I can tell you there are more crazy people around than you might imagine."

"Well, they won´t kill me in public on the campus, right?"

"Who knows? You could have an accident, whatever, there are more ways to skin a cat – remember the pictures you were naked on going round the campus?"

Alice was hesitating for a moment. "God, I hate your fucking intelligence! But I have to admit you might be right. There are definitely more ways to compromise a student..."

Since Red and Vanessa welcomed the cops at the same moment, their discussion ended immediately. The officers did their work carefully, they seemed to be much more worried about the dead cat at their door than the squad itself.

"Someone must have been the owner of that little kitten, any idea?" One of the cops wanted to know.

Vanessa looked questioningly at her girls but none of them had anything to say. "Well, officer – animals aren´t allowed on the campus. It must be from somewhere else then..."

"We got everything we need. The cat will be taken away by us, if you want us to?" One of the officers proposed, looking quite disgustedly.

Everyone was okay with them taking the dead bloody kitten away. It left some awful marks on the pavement behind. There was no time left to talk that much about it because all of them had to head off for class. Marti and Savannah went together, the blond one wheeling her bike, still thinking of the dead animal.

"The volleyball girls?" Savannah broke the silence. "I can hardly believe that..."

Marti lifted her head. "So cruel... They must have killed it themselves. Disgusting!"

"It wasn´t dead before the knife stuck into it, right."

"So, you´ve seen it, too? The blood was fresh and it smelled kind of warm... Bah..." she remarked, pursing her nose. "Awful... And a really ice-cold way to act."

"Poor kitten... Whoever´s the owner must have been totally in shock of missing it."

"Have you seen its eyes? Whoever had done that to that innocent animal must be cruelly punished. That was against all rules of humanity and animal protection."

"Alice must have been more evil than considered... I mean... What the heck didn´t she tell us?" Savannah sighed, thinking about some secret cruelly acting friend of hers.

"So to speak..."

They separated for leaving to their different classes, not having a clue how to go on in the future. Marti sat on her chair, not listening to any of the words the professor said. She still thought about that poor kitten and all the blood in front of their door. Would she be able to do her profession with that kind of disgust by seeing such crime in reality? When she met Morgan at the refectory later, she sat down across his table and started the conversation.

"Hi! Did you miss me?" she winked.

Morgan lifted his eyebrow. "Guess!"

"Listen! Are you listening?"

"I am listening. Go on!"

"We should finish our relationship in public, you´ve been way too involved lately, I think."

The young man was in shock because of her demand. "What about the professor?" he whispered curiously, hoping for some possible breakup again.

"Fuck the crowd! I don´t want you to get hurt, that´s not fair."

"Me, too. You don´t have to worry about me, really. I know you´ll never be in love with me for real. Believe me, I got that."

"Sure?"

"Marti... Maybe I´m jealous as hell but I just want you to be happy and if it´s the professor you like to be with then I have to accept that. Just that simple."

"It´s not fair, anyway." Marti answered sadly. "You´re my friend, you know?"

"That´s more than I´ve ever expected. So... How is it going?" He smiled, touching her hand on the table for a moment.

Marti sighed heavily. "Guess what we found today morning in front of the Hellcats´ door?"

"Some naked football player on his knees, totally drunk and singing to one of you of endless love?"

She couldn´t help laughing out loud. "We would have appreciated that! At least Alice would have." she giggled once more. "Back to reality. Someone murdered a lovely kitten and stuck a paper under the knife in its breast. _Hell to the cat_ written on it."

Morgan sat there mouth wide open. "You´re kidding?"

"Wish I would!"

"Holy! Who do you think did that to you?"

"Maybe the volleyball girls. Alice told us about some heavy argument last night after our victory party. But we don´t really know."

"Wow... That´s horrible..."

"It is. By the way, you don´t have to back me with girl-overs anymore. My mum is taking that job now. We found my dad, finally. He´s going to be defended by Julian, who wants to re-open his case."

Morgan was kind of speechless. "But we´re still together?"

"Well, okay, you´re allowed to back me, if you want to, but first we have to coordinate the sleepovers, right?"

Morgan smiled. "Absolutely. Wanda and I can talk about that, too."

"Good idea. Listen... May I ask you a question?"

Morgan nodded, smiling like always. "What´s the problem, honey?"

"Will you please keep an eye on Professor Rathbone?"

"Erm... The so-called ex-wife?"

Marti sighed again. "So to speak. Will you?"

"She´s causing you much more trouble than expected, right?" he smirked.

"Hell, yeah! She´s stalking Julian. Probably wants him back. We don´t know what she´s planning on doing next. Julian´s really afraid of her."

Morgan thought about what she´d been just telling him. He wanted to answer, but hold himself back once more, making some contemplative face. Then he tried a second start. "What if... _she_ killed that lovely cat because of _you _being in her way?"

Now it was her turn to gasp for breath. "Come on, Morgan! That´s not funny!"

"Remember that old movie with Michael Douglas? It´s called _Fatal Attraction_. Ever heard of it?"

"Maybe I should listen to you since you were right with that Star Trek experiment once?"

"Good girl! You know that movie?"

"I´ve never seen it but I´ve heard of it, sure."

"_Your_ killed kitten had been a boiled bunny rabbit in the cooking pot of the betrayed wife. Really shocking! But Glenn Close was awesome!"

"Oh my fucking god..." Marti whispered disgustedly. "Too much fantasy for me, dude!"

"Think it over. You said she´s stalking him. If she has already found out about you, it would be really easy to make you going crazy that way. Hell to the cat, remember?"

That was definitely a good point. Marti had to admit him being kind of smart. "Julian won´t believe me if I´m going to tell him, you know?"

"He´s old enough to know the movie. Try!" Morgan grinned amusedly.

"Buffoon! I´m going to tell him _that_!" Marti said with a smile on her face. "He´s not that old, capisce?"

"Oh, you´re going for the Italian language? Nice!"

"No, I´m going for the Mafia, got it?" she countered. "So be careful what you´re saying, capisce? Erm... I have to go now. Thank you for your ear. I´m hoping desperately you´re not right with Heather, you know?"

"I _was_ recently. Just be careful, honey, okay?"

Marti showed him her teeth. "_We are_, Bunny Boy!" With a wide grin she left the table without looking back again.

Morgan sat there, being at a loss for words. But he still thought about that old movie and what happened in addition to that boiling bunny. That was really scary and he wished Marti would tell Julian his speculation. _He_ maybe would take him seriously.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 21.06.2011

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	15. Shocking News

There she is again! ;-)

I´m late, I know.

My beta reader had been busy.

Hope you still read here, I´d be happy about it.

The last and only comment on the last chapter made me smile all over. I copied it to my beta reader, cause she´s part of the team. So, many many thanks and a devoted bow to _**KattyKit2003**_for her amazing words and the compliments on my story/our work. I´ll try not to disappoint you!

Let´s start now!

You better get belted...

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

~ **14 **~

_Shocking News_

"Vanessa, do you think, Dean is able to do such thing?" Red asked his girlfriend, sitting together at at _The Rat's_ for having dinner with her.

"What such thing?"

"The murdered kitten?"

"You mean he could have done to warn me?"

"No, to warn _me_. But who knows? You´re fired. Maybe they don´t want you to sue?"

"Then I´m rather buying into having been done by your ex-wife trying to warn me."

"Good point. Emily would be tough enough to do that."

"Even if I already got fired. She wants us dead, like I said."

Red sighed. "And she´s working together with Dean, fits perfect. Let´s wait for the report of the police. But being careful isn´t wrong at all... Especially when you´re expecting. "

Vanessa smiled happily. Red hadn´t been the rude guy she thought of, so it was easy to decide for the baby. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For standing by my side."

"You should have known from the start," he kissed her softly on the cheek.

At one of the other tables sat Dan and Savannah, together with her mum and Charlotte, who was still waiting for taking home little Joseph from hospital. Since Mr. Monroe preferred to flee the country their family had grown together once more. Dan was really worried about Savannahs condition. She felt terrible and he couldn´t help being there for her. This little persisting girl somehow has gotten under the wire and finally touched his heart. For the first time in his life he felt something like responsibility and... real love for someone else than Marti. They just clinked glasses when his best friend and the professor came in to sit at one of the tables across the room. Dan caught a treasonable glimpse of Marti and suddenly he was about to reveal her biggest secret...

The young Hellcat and Julian sat down and he took out some papers of his briefcase, putting them on the table. Marti ordered a glass of wine for both of them and ran her fingers through her blond curls.

"This is encouraging, Marti." Julian began to talk. "Your dad will get a second official hearing next week. I´m really full of hope to get this perfectly done."

"I´m so excited... He seems to be innocent, I can hardly believe that." she remarked with trembling voice.

"Let´s have a toast to Rex and his wonderful daughter who both never gave up hoping. He´s gonna be very proud of you!" Julian raised his glass and let it clink to Marti´s. "And so am I, honey." he whispered in addition.

"Wanda isn´t as happy as I am, you know? She´s struggling with her feelings. Every night she sits with Travis talking about the past. The two are like an old married couple, I´d like to say. I heard her admitting she´s been totally affected when she had met him in jail that day before _we_ talked to him."

"Thought she´s going for Travis, isn´t she?"

"Who knows? I don´t mind. It´s her life and I don´t want her to go back to Rex just to please me or even Deidra. So... What have you found out recently? Anything interesting?"

"Yeah. Miss Everett had particles of skin under her nails. It weren´t Rex´s ones. Examinations are going on right now, Eddie B. Cole´s in custody already. He had been questioned and he obviously has got no reasonable alibi for this evening. We think he got furious because of Everett´s date with Rex without paying her for sex. The things he said about his high prize workabee weren´t as nice as should be..."

Marti looked around the restaurant. "I truly hope Eddie is the murderer. Just to prove my dad is innocent. By the way, did you see Red and Vanessa sitting over there?"

"Yes, I noticed them. We can´t share any intimacy here, I know."

"They would understand it."

"Why is that?" Julian was wondering, taking a look at his colleagues of the teaching staff.

"They once did the same, haven´t you heard of the former scandal?"

"You´re kidding, right?"

"No, I´m not. Red owes me one, so..."

"So...?"

"Maybe he can help us, if Heather is going too far some day?"

Julian didn´t get what she wanted to tell him. "What exactly are you about to tell me?"

"Someone put a dead kitten in front of our door, a knife and a paper sticking into its breast. _Hell to the cat_ written on it."

"Are you serious?" Julian choked on his own spit, taking some of his wine and trying to concentrate again.

"Unfortunately, yes. The point is, _she_ maybe could have done that to me, don´t you think so?"

The professor was really shocked and sorted his thoughts. "You´re crazy. That would be totally out of character. She loves animals." Again he shook his head in disbelief. "But on the other side, she IS totally out of her mind right now..."

"I had a conversation with Morgan the other day."

"The stud again," he sighed jealously. "Okay, tell me!"

"He´s alright, really. But he mentioned something quite interesting. Do you know the movie _Fatal __Attraction_ with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas?"

"Sure! Who doesn´t?"

"Me. I watched it yesterday just because he told me what the story is about. Dropping penny?"

Julian gasped for breath because of what he was thinking at that moment. "You mean, Heather´s trying to do the same to you?" His heart suddenly filled with pain. "You know what? We watched that movie together at the cinema long time ago. Guess what she said to me when we walked out of the auditorium? _Don´t you feel sad for Alex, too?_"

"Alex? The one who did...?"

"Yes, Alex Forrest, Dan Gallagher´s crazy affair, who put that damned rabbit into his wife´s cooking pot!"

"Oh my Gosh..."

"I´m not hungry anymore. Should have known better by that special comment in the past. I must have been blind all these years..."

Marti had to hold herself back not to take his hand on the table for showing her feelings to him. "What are we going to do now?" she whispered frightened.

"I´m going to ask her. Directly. Right after we´ve finished here."

"I think that´s the wrong way."

"Any better idea?"

"Sure. We make her believe that we´re going to accuse the Volleyball girls of having murdered the kitten."

"So, she won´t get what she wants. That´s incredibly genius, Marti. But she will try another way and I´m afraid of her ideas. You´d have to be protected from that moment on."

"Maybe she makes a big mistake and we can get her arrested?" Marti remarked, looking deep into his eyes.

Julian sighed heavily, lifting his left eyebrow. "Okay, I can´t talk to the coach of the Volleyball girls about our relationship, that´s a fact. So, we would have to do that without any help. You know that?"

"I do. I´ve done much more dangerous things before to help you with your cases..."

"Never compare break-ins to a furious woman in love. Or _thinks-to-be-in-love_."

Marti smiled amusedly. "Well, I´m a furious woman in love, too. Forgotten?" she whispered to him, taking some more water to cool down a bit.

Julian carefully stroke over her fingers on the table, looking around for someone that might detect them. His eyes suddenly met Dan`s and he twitched back nervously. Marti was wondering about his obviously frightened glance.

"What?"

"He watched us. Dan." Julian whispered, packing his stuff back in the briefcase with trembling hands.

"He´s controllable. Don´t worry about him."

"Thought you once have presented Morgan to him for not being detected?"

Marti shrugged her shoulders. "Right. But he´s my best friend and I trust him, now that he´s together with Savannah. Besides, we´re not teacher and student anymore. It´s not forbidden."

"No, it´s not, but we could get into some more trouble if Heather tries to tell the dean about us. It´ll be quite awkward for both of us."

"I don´t mind. Do you?"

"I do. I´m sorry, but I have to focus on my job as a lawyer. Have to keep my clients and their confidence in me." Julian said with sad eyes. He felt terrible about his fear of a bad reputation.

Marti nodded grown-up. She truly understood his exceptions. "It´s okay. I get that. So what are we going to do, if Dan wants to know about you and your intimate gesture? And I know he _will_."

"Just tell him I had to comfort you because of your dad."

"Quite good excuse, Mr. Lawyer! I don´t guarantee for him believing me that lie. You´ll have to deal with whatever else he wants to believe."

"I´m leaving now. You stay here and talk to Dan or whoever you want to. Just to make clear that we aren´t a couple. I have to work for a while anyway. See you later, okay?"

"Okay. You can warm up the bed for me..." she smirked whistling. "You´re so sexy playing the boss..." The way she looked at him wouldn´t have convinced Dan of them not being a couple or at least lovers.

Julian secretly winked goodbye and left the restaurant. Marti decided to talk to Dan and Savannah immediately. She only had to phone Deidra first to tell her about the ongoing examinations on their dad´s case. Her younger sister wasn´t as happy as Marti about all the things going on these days. Marti had to convince her once more not to be that ignorant but Deidra still thought of him being incompetent as a father. Her adventures with _daddy_ when she had been a little girl weren´t meant to be forgotten, she told Marti. It´ll take a long time to get that fixed, Marti thought to herself and hang up the phone sighing again. Her legs led her straight to Dan´s table.

"Hey! Everything alright?" she asked, looking at Savannah in particular.

Her roommate smiled friendly. "Wanna join us? Julian told us lately my dad maybe had been seen in New Mexico."

Marti sat down next to Savannah and sighed. "Don´t you worry, he knows what he´s doing. You won´t have to be responsible for Parker´s faults. And Julian won´t let you pay one cent for his help, I promise."

"Who are _you_ to promise such thing?" Dan remarked curiously. Another piece of evidence in his opinion.

Marti answered quick-witted. "I´m still helping him with some cases. He also will try to get _m__y_dad out of jail without taking fees. You can trust him, he´s a good guy."

"And very handsome." Dan answered dryly, looking provocative at his best friend.

"You think so?" Marti asked innocently. "That´s why Morgan´s so jealous when we´re working together," she laughed amusedly. "You guys are definitely crazy! To be jealous on an older man just because he´s kind of handsome in your eyes! Ridiculous!"

"I´ve known you for a long time, Marti Perkins, and you´ve never lied worse." Dan simply said with not the slightest smile on his face.

Mrs. Monroe wanted to calm down the situation by asking Charlotte something about the baby grandson of hers. "So, tell me Charlotte – is Joseph drinking enough milk? Do you still have some to pump down?" Kind of embarrassed she was looking at Dan. "Sorry, Dan, women´s talk..."

"When am I able to take a look at your nephew, Savannah? He´s so cute on your pics! Charlotte, you must be very happy, I think!" Marti took the chance to change topic, thinking of the day when Dan and she would be all alone to talk about his accuse again. Obviously he knew her too well.

"He´s doing well, of course. Today they told me he gained a hundred grams more. The nurses are totally content with him growing so fast. And yes, Marti, I´m the happiest mum ever! He´s my little sunshine, I swear!"

"I´m really happy for you, Charlotte! Gotta go now, my Mum´s waiting for me. We have to talk to Deidra again. You´re happy to have an easy to handle sister, I can tell!" Marti smiled at Savannah and stood up. "Mine seems to be a fractious tomboy!" She winced goodbye, grinning all over and was about to leave when...

"No doubt she´s your sister!" Dan shouted at her while she was walking towards the door.

Marti didn´t react on his stupid comment. She was way too intelligent to do him that favor. Only Savannah hit him with her elbow on his left.

o o o o o o o o o o o

The next few weeks they had to work hard. Marti had to study for the next exams and the practice went on regularly, too. The squad itself had been told that the volleyball girls didn´t do that awful joke with the murdered kitten in front of their door. None of them had the right fingerprints they found on the backside of the note. In fairness they had to notice the volleyball girls´ real compassion for that disgusting prank. Alice and the other girls decided on a truce as long as research was going on.

Julian was busy with his clients, the pro bono ones as well as the paying ones. In addition to his lessons at the university, which were very important to him, because of the current bills. Not everything could be paid by Bill Marsh´s pension and he had to calculate for the future.

Dan himself never tried to talk to Marti again about his speculation on her relationship with the professor. His silence was his own way to defend his opinion. Marti didn´t correct him, as she hadn´t been willing to lie to him again. They both knew about the truth and that was enough. One day, when he met Marti in the hallway at the university, talking to some female professor with angry face, he recognized his best friend being totally furious and frightened at the same moment. Like always he came up to help her and disturbed their conversation with a wide grin on his face.

"May I interrupt you, please? I´m Dan Patch, excuse me, but I have to talk to Marti privately."

"Can´t you see we´re in an important discussion!" The professor answered angrily. "You should leave us alone and mind your own business!"

"Sorry, this can´t wait!" Dan remarked bitterly, tearing away Marti, holding her on her elbow. "You´ll get another chance!"

Marti was nearly crying when they arrived at the refectory. Dan made her sit down at one of the tables and got her some water to drink. She looked like a ghost, weeping silently with trembling hands holding the glass of water.

"What was that?" he asked her whispering. "Did she offend you in some way?"

The young girl shook her head, still shaking all over. "It´s okay. I´m okay."

"You´re _not_ okay. Stop lying to me and tell me the truth! NOW!"

Marti didn´t know what to say to him. She seemed to have been in a real horror movie some minutes before. But Dan was not the guy to let her get away with that.

"I´m waiting...," he said carefully. "Come on, we´re best friends, remember? This woman did something to you."

Since he wasn´t such a dork to fool him any longer Marti had to tell him the truth. She hesitated once more but he looked that accusingly at her that she couldn´t hold up her constancy.

"She told me to report me to the dean...," she sighed.

"Because of what?"

"Because of having a relationship with Julian," she whispered with closed eyes. "She´s his ex-wife."

Dan sighed, too. Finally! This girl had taken him for a fool a very long time. "You should have known better."

"He isn´t my teacher anymore. And this is serious, Dan. Heather is kinda crazy! _She_ did murder that kitten and she just told me eye to eye! I´m really afraid of her. She wanted me to leave Julian immediately or she´ll report us to the dean. I can´t do that. I just can´t!" Marti´s voice was trembling while speaking and she was still crying silently.

"God, you must really love him..."

"I do. And _he_ really loves _me_. We have to tell the dean ourselves before _she_ does. That´s the only way to get that fixed, I think. That little ignorant bitch even told me Julian and her had sex a few weeks ago at her fucking housewarming party. I know she´s lying but..."

"It hurts."

"Terribly."

"Come on, Marti... She just wanted to hurt you. You don´t have to believe her."

"I don´t. It´s just... She is so beautiful... And Julian said, she had hugged him. Maybe...?"

"You don´t trust him?"

"I do, of course! I just don´t trust _her_!"

Dan grinned. "You don´t want me to believe that she´s able to rape him, do you?"

"Don´t you laugh at me, Dan Patch! She could have threatened him! _If you don´t sleep with me, I´ll report you to the dean!_ Something like that!" Marti remarked with angry voice. "He has to protect his reputation because of his clients. It´s all about confidence, you know?"

"Okay. So why should he break his own rule and lie to you? Don´t make that mistake and let her win, Marti! That´s exactly what she wants. You have to ignore her accusations to get rid of her. Go and talk to Julian! _He_ has to fix that for _you!_"

"You´re right. I have to tell him. He´s in class right now, I think." She said goodbye and thanks to Dan, kissed him softly on his hair and left the refectory, wiping courageously the last tears from her cheek.

o o o o o o o o o o o

The squad was waiting for Marti to practice but she didn´t appear. Even Savannah didn´t knew what had happened and Alice was more than angry about her re-absence.

Vanessa was about to try to calm down the girls when Lewis finally came into the gym to tell them Marti wasn´t able to come for having an appointment at courthouse. She had called him a few minutes ago.

"Her dad´s been discharged from prison, she said. They had to manage his future registered residence and Julian insisted on him staying at her mum´s house. Boy, I don´t want to be there right now! Wanda and Travis must be really out of their minds...!" Lewis told them with a wide grin on his face.

"She always has to work for Julian lately, that sucks!" Alice answered dryly. "Wonder if they´re only working..."

Everybody looked at her in shock.

"What?" she said offended. "I bet the two of them have an affair! She´s single, she looks not that bad and we shall believe her not to have some handsome lover around? Forget it! She´s guilty!" Lewis hit her on her back. "Ouch!"

"Are you jealous?" he asked smiling. "Marti and Julian look quite nice together, don´t they?"

Vanessa interrupted their discussion with clapping hands. "Let´s do the last moves again, guys! You weren´t good enough, I suppose!" She said, looking warningly at Alice. "After having been fired, I´m not your coach any longer and I´m just waiting for my substitute, so come on! We have to show her what we´re able to!"

They followed Vanessa´s rules to make her happy on her last day of work. Even _she_ didn´t know who was going to be their new coach, so they had to star in perfection and glamor to impress whoever would come through the door of the gym.

"Are you trying to get a second chance?" Lewis asked friendly. "We´re going to miss you, you know?"

Vanessa had to hold back the tears, hearing that silent comment on her dismissal. "No, I won´t. There are a few things I have to consider, including the baby child I´m carrying. But I´m going to follow you to your competitions just to be still a part of it. It´s always been my life..."

The whole squad was about to hug her then. She couldn´t help bursting into tears after all. A very special moment for all of them. Rudely interrupted of the new coach entering the gym.

"What´s going on here? Shouldn´t you be better off practicing to improve your performance for the next football game?"

Suddenly all heads were turning around. A new dragon appeared on their horizon. Everyone was heading for their position except Alice and Savannah. Even Vanessa went silently aside to let the new coach do his work.

"So... Who´s the captain of your squad?" she asked with interested eyes.

"I´m the captain. Alice Verdura. And you are...?"

"I´m professor Heather Rathbone. Nice to meet you! Well, now we know what´s keeping you from your papers, Miss Monroe, don´t we?" she said ironically, looking at Savannah. "Let´s hope you´re better in cheering than in history!"

Savannah just stood there open mouthed, trying to gasp for breath. It was Alice to help her out.

"Coach Rathbone, how do we have to call you? Miss, Coach, Heather – it is Heather, isn´t it? - or something else?" Her eyes glittering in aggressiveness, she tried to finally shake hands with the coach.

"Just _Coach,_" she said dryly, even not noticing Alice offering her a hand shake. "I don´t know how your former cheer leading coach did her job but I´m about to make you the best of the nation. Any further questions? No? Okay! Let´s get physical then! Everyone in their position! Go!"

Vanessa still had to close her mouth, Savannah seemed pale all over and Lewis and the other guys were whispering awful comments about the dragon standing in front of them. Each one of the other girls was just resting in fear and kind of shivering all over. They never had worked harder before and when finally the lesson was over, everyone was at the end of their tether. To join the army would have been easier had been their next consideration.

o o o o o o o o o o

The closing door behind their backs let the current argument going on inside Wanda´s house luckily get away from them. Julian sighed heavily, looking desperately at his girlfriend. Marti hadn´t been amused about Rex´ moving-in into her mother´s house. There wasn´t even a place for Travis and Wanda didn´t want her ex-husband to live with her again...

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 03.07.2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Thanks for reading ^^

Hope you liked it ;-)


	16. Different Views

A wonderful day to all of you out there in the world wide web!

Hope you´re all fine, I am.

Enormous thanks to my last reviewer **KattyKit2003**!

They all rely on you to commentate, I´m sorry.

Hope you enjoy the following chapter.

It´s a bit shorter as usual.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o

~ **15** ~

_Different Views_

"Why did you do that?" Marti asked reproachfully.

"He needed a fixed residence. His discharge still isn´t legal since Eddie hasn´t been convicted yet. And the case will be final when he´s been judged. Even if they had to set Rex free for want of evidence. We´re not through."

"Okay, but letting him stay at my mum´s? You have no idea what that means to her."

"I do. Marti, I wanted him to be under supervision. And Wanda is the best for that job. He won´t do anything to offend her, believe me."

"They´re having an argument right now! Travis has to sleep on the couch and my Mum will be afraid of the nights. We don´t know whether he´s really clean or not. What if he uses drugs inside our house?"

"You´re right. We don´t know anything about him. But to take care of him in case he´ll get free is one of your things to do. He´s your business, no matter if you want him to be or not."

"Because we decided to re-open the case. I got it."

"Absolutely." Julian opened his car for her and Marti got in. "We have to talk seriously again, you know that, right?" he whispered, looking right into her eyes. Marti wrinkled her nose.

Julian got into the car himself and started the motor. They drove back home without saying a word. Marti thought of their problems with Heather and how Julian reacted on her report of their discussion in the hallway. He had been totally out of his mind but there had been no time to do anything or at least talk about it. When they entered the house he went straight into the kitchen and started to cook. A secure sign that he was angry like hell and had to calm down before talking to Marti about their problem. The young woman tried to help by making the salad and kept quiet like desired. After fifteen minutes he was ready to break the silence.

"God help me, I really would like to kill her!"

"Think my mum just wants to do the same to you." She couldn´t resist complaining again about her father´s forced new domicile.

Julian looked up accusingly from the cooking zone but didn´t answer on her comment. Marti knew she made a mistake by changing topic unexpectedly, so she tried to make the best of a bad job.

"I´m sorry, Parish. Back to Heather. We should talk to the dean ourselves. Means – before _she _is able to do."

Julian looked at her sparkling eyes and his heart filled with warmth and love immediately. "I´m sorry, too. For her being that rude to you. She had no right to do such thing to you. I still wonder how she actually found out..." He leaned into her, kissing her softly on the cheek.

"I know how she did. She told me." Marti answered smiling. "Remember the night in front of the fridge? She was outside the house observing us and she saw me, totally naked, embracing you from behind. She remembered my face sitting your house and finally she met me and Savannah at the university, dressed up as cheerleaders because of having been practicing before. To find out my name wasn´t that difficult then. Like you said, she already knew at the party."

"Dammit! To talk to the dean would be the wise decision. You´re right." Julian sighed. "But I still don´t get why you were that agitated, even with tears in your eyes when you came to tell me about it before starting my next lesson. I know you, Marti. She must have said something even worse, am I right?"

It wasn´t her intention to lie to him but she couldn´t detail him what Heather had been telling her about the party and what had been going on there. Instead of telling him them potentially having had sex, she decided to tell him more about Heather´s demands. "If I won´t leave you, she´ll go on threatening the Hellcats. The kitten had been only the beginning. She wants you back, Ally deserves her parents being together again, blah..."

Julian´s eyes narrowed to slits more and more. "Out of her mind. Unbelievable. I have to make some phone calls to find out about her therapy. Her mother liked me a lot and she still does, I think. I want you to stay away from her as far as possible, okay? And we will tell the cops that she confessed to you. Just to close that case, she won´t have to pay for it as long as no owner of the cat will be found. An animal unfortunately still is just an object at court, you know that."

"When she spoke to me with that icy voice I really had to fight goosebumps all over. She´s terrifying. I´m sure, if Dan hadn´t come along to save me, I would have had a nervous breakdown."

Julian took the pan off the burner, looking quite frightened. "What do you mean by Dan came along to save you?"

"Well, he interrupted her accusations and actually took me away from her. I was about to faint right there in the hallway."

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth," she whispered, hoping for his understanding. "He already knew..."

"Marti! How could you do that? What about my reputation? This could be our ruin!"

"Oh, don´t be that dramatic!" she countered. "He´s no idiot and he won´t tell anybody, I promise. Dan´s my friend and he also had some good advice for me: _Go and tell Julian, he has to fix that for you_."

Julian´s risen heartbeat slowed down a bit by hearing that. He could see Marti´s trembling fingers and wanted to hold her again. Taking the salad bowl out of her hands and putting it aside, he embraced her intimately. She put her arms around his body to feel his warmth and tenderness. When he kissed her neck, she thought about Heather´s words again. Her lips found his ear conch, whispering to him.

"Would you have had sex with her just for not being reported?"

Julian moved back frightened, eyes wide open. "You really think I could do this?"

"No, I don´t. But if she threatened you...? Maybe she has the power to make you lose your chair? Would you give her what she wants?" Marti was still whispering. His eyes would show her the truth, she thought.

"Honey, I won´t. To give her what she wants means to have to do it again and again and again. I´m not that kind of man who sleeps with a woman just for fun, you know that. There are no feelings for her anymore, not the slightest hint. Whatever she´ll try I ´m never going to have sex with her again. Okay?" He looked at her with kind of a begging smile on his face.

"Okay..."

"Maybe I should show you by example?" he smirked, putting some things away by a movement of the hand and lifting her spontaneously on the counter-top.

Marti wrapped her legs around his hips, kissing him passionately. Her fingers running through his dark hair, she enjoyed him letting her go crazy with his fancy tongue. Whenever he kissed her that way she would have done everything to please him. His hands grabbed her back, pulling her closer to his body. To hold her that close was the most wonderful feeling he could ever imagine. Only there were still too many clothes between them, so Julian had to let her out of his embrace again even if he didn´t want to.

First he pulled off her top, looking hungrily at the red satin bra appearing. "Wow..." She was perfect, really perfect. "You definitely ARE a Porsche and you know how to dress yourself to please your man," he whispered hoarsely.

Marti opened the buttons of his shirt and took his tie off impatiently. Pulling off his shirt, she couldn´t help thinking of him being the most handsome man she had ever seen. Her fingers stroke slowly over his shoulders followed by the chest, feeling every inch of his skin, resting upon one of his nipples to squeeze it a bit. Julian suddenly kissed her on the décolleté, licking towards the middle of her boobs. Marty opened the bra herself and he slipped it off her body, randy aspiratingsome air. She leaned back on the counter-top, so he could kiss her all over. His hands opened the zipper of her black trousers, revealing the red satin panty underneath, fitting to the already disappeared bra. Carefully he took the trousers off her legs and leaned over her again, his lips finding blindly the sensitive parts from her neck down to the navel. Marti bent towards him, wrapping her legs around his hips to hold him close again.

When she sat up again, letting him out of her embrace, he sighed, being disappointed. She grinned seductively, beginning to open his leather belt while he was kissing her neck once more and stroking softly up and down over her back. Marti´s fingers slipped under his suit pants, searching for the most sensible part. His moaning when she touched him right where he wanted her to, was that amorous she felt even more turned on. Julian quickly dropped out of his trousers and flipped it away on the floor.

"Wait...," he whispered hoarsely. "Maybe it´s kinda steamy to do it right here on the counter-top but I´d like to cook there in the future without having such an enormous dick in my pants, you know? We better go upstairs for further action... Okay?"

Marti had to giggle about his lively imagination and nodded okay. "It´s kinda hard upon here, too." Her sweet smile made him think of some lottery winnings. "And you´re also way older than I am," she was giggling again.

Julian hauled her up on his hips in a snappy way, staggering backwards to the stairs. His lips closing her mouth to smother her hearty laugh. Marti kept grinning all the way upstairs, kissing him desperately in anticipation.

"You´re an evil girl," he whispered out of breath, opening the bedroom door with his elbow and foot. "But I think that´s the reason for loving you to death..."

Together they stumbled to the bed and he fell backwards upon the mattress, him still embracing her and keeping her over his body. Marti began to kiss him all over, letting her tongue lick over his naked skin, trying to make him go crazy once again. Julian´s hands free her hair, tousling it while she was searching her way down to his panties. Her lips touching him softly, she kissed him a hundred times until her fingers slipped under the panties to take them off. He didn´t let her do his job but told her to undress herself instead because he didn´t want to wait any longer.. Without any clothes left they slipped back under the blanket and Marti insisted on being on top to take the lead.

"Thought _I _wanted to show you by example?" Julian whispered hoarsely.

"No need to, Parish. I´m going to eternize myself to you... There will be no chance to even think of having sex with someone else but me."

Her voice sounded that persuasive Julian couldn´t help smiling flattered. "Who´d change a Porsche into somewhat else?" he grinned contentedly, followed by the loudest moan he ever did when she finally touched his meanwhile painful hard-on.

Never in her life before Marti had tried to satisfy a guy the oral way. This was her attempt to make him wanting her more than any other woman and so she tried to do her best. When her lips put a soft kiss upon the top of his penis, Julian couldn´t believe what she was about to do. Without a doubt heaven for every male. However he was kind of surprised that she wanted to do him that favor.

"Hold on...," he insisted on having a short break. "Why do you want to do this?" His voice sounded quiet and full of astonishment.

Marti looked up to his face, blushing in embarrassment. "You don´t like me to do it?"

Julian thought a moment about the right answer. He was kind of caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Usually he would have liked her to do it but since Heather had been doing this more often for personal pleasure he couldn´t help thinking of her when looking at Marti doing the same. Sort of horror for himself. He cleared his throat and made her come up to him again to look deep into her eyes.

"I don´t want you to do the things Heather used to do," he whispered confusedly. "Maybe some day in the future when we got rid of her and all the frightening actions, okay?"

"I thought maybe...," she had to hold back the tears. "I just wanted to be different..."

Julian sighed, hugging her lovingly. His lips whispered in her ear. "You already are. Don´t you still know that, yet?"

"She´s so... beautiful..." Marti answered slowly, avoiding upcoming tears again. "And she did you that favor..."

The professor thought about the best way to show her what she means to him. "Just for her own entertainment. And... Beauty isn´t a guarantee for having a good relationship. Besides, you are way more beautiful than her. You have a golden heart."

"I´m just younger."

"That´s true. But that´s not what I like about you, I told you before."

"She´s intelligent, kind of important in her profession and she earns her own money."

"Because she´s way older than you. Stop this ridiculous comparison, please... I`d rather like to kiss you again..."

Marti looked into his begging eyes. "What else did she do I shouldn´t?"

"Nothing, I swear." He gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. "You don´t have to change a thing, Porsche, cause you´re perfect just the way you are."

Julian kissed her passionately, rolling over with her to get on top himself. He let his fingers run through her hair again, playing with a single curl. Marti´s legs swung around his hips, holding him close to feel every inch of his anew swollen penis rubbing her constantly on the lap. While stroking over his back down to his butt which was absolutely perfect from her perspective, she enjoyed every caring twist of his tongue in her mouth. He left her lips, licking down her neck down to the boobs to take one nipple with the teeth, biting into it carefully and then kissing it with warm lips while letting his tongue lick roughly over it. Marti kept on sighing, bending towards him. The more he fondled her the more she drifted away in lust. Julian was a master of celebrating slowness, so she was even feeling physical pain by wishfully waiting for him to finally slip into her.

"Please...," she was begging hoarsely.

"Kind of a sweet revenge...," Julian answered smiling, looking up to her, not stopping to touch her hot skin with his soft lips all over.

She gasped for breath, moaning once more. "You´re evil."

That was exactly what her made special to him. He wanted to drive her crazy, to let her feel like never before without thinking of his own amusement, just to make _her _happy. Altruism in its finest. She always would come first in his thoughts. True love at his own option.

Instead of answering he decided to give her what she desired. He made her roll over to her side and cuddled up to her from behind. Slowly lifting her leg and putting it over his thigh, he tried to position himself the best way to penetrate her. Marti´s breath did go intermittently, she needed to be released from the physical pain immediately. When Julian finally entered her slowly, he moaned himself deep into her curly hair, stroking her sanctum on the front side.

"Oh my God...," she whispered, holding back a yell of pleasure once more.

"Thanks for the compliment, you can call me Parish," Julian said, moaning from lust himself.

To feel him inside herself, near to her heart, made her forget the world around them. She drifted away on a wave of passion and finally love for this extraordinary man of her interest. Julian himself had been swept away by love again, drowning into her, keeping her as intimate as possible. There was definitely no space for anyone else in his mind.

His fingers wandering over her naked skin, leaving a mark of fire wherever he touched her, he kissed her on the neck, on her shoulders, the collarbone, deeper on the shoulder blade and back up again to her curly blond hair. His nose had been drowning in those wonderful curls, smelling like vanilla and some sweet oriental fruit at the same time. When she came the first time, Marti clawed for his thigh, letting him feel each and every nail in his flesh. He followed her right away, biting hard into her shoulder, while shivering all over. They fell apart totally exhausted, gasping for breath, still wondering what they just experienced. In an intimate embrace they finally fell asleep under the sheets. Since they had been together for a while there was no need of a condom anymore because Marti had seen her gynecologist for getting herself some contraceptive. Faith and health assumed.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. N iG, 15.07.2011

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	17. Complications

Sorry for being that late ^^

My beta reader had been too busy...

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~ **16** ~

_Complications_

Savannah and Alice were just talking about the new coach when Marti came into the Hellcats´ kitchen. They stopped immediately and the blond girl looked at them in curiosity.

"What?" she asked grinning, taking some of the finger food off the plate on the counter-top. Her mind still thinking of Julian´s suddenly seduction in his own kitchen last night.

Savannah sighed, shaking her head in sadness. "Guess who´s gonna be our new coach?" she wanted to know ironically.

Her voice had brought back the young pre-law student to reality. She gulped, not knowing what might be happening soon. "Erm... The athletic director _Mr. Tasty Moves _himself?" Joking was her way to deny the fear of what they maybe could tell her in a moment.

Alice decided to tell her the rude way. "Dean would have been way better than this dragon on legs!"

"Professor Rathbone herself," Savannah said quietly, looking secretly at her roommate´s eyes which suddenly seemed to be kind of yelling. "She´s evil. Nothing more to say about that."

Marti let herself drop on the chair in front of her, getting pale all over. Her heavy breath made the two girls think of bringing her some water. While Alice was looking for a glass, Savannah came up to her friend to embrace her caring. Even if Marti had been a strong woman her entire life, she was about to faint this time. Her pulse was uncontrollably high rated and she felt like drowning in marsh.

"Breathe! For heaven´s sake!" Savannah demanded frightened.

Marti tried to, more agitated and faster than healthy. At a moment´s notice she began to hyperventilate, looking fearful at her teammates. Alice murmured something about a really weird reaction and searched for some bag for her to breathe into. When Marti finally held the bag over her mouth and nose, Savannah sat down next to her, talking to her in a comforting way.

"Good, breathe on! You feel better soon, honey. It´ll be okay. We´ll handle it, right?"

"I can´t imagine what you guys are talking about but I´d really like to know," Alice remarked curiously. "I´ve never seen you that vulnerable...?"

"The new coach isn´t amused about Marti´s connection to Professor Parish. She´s his ex-wife and she wants him back whatever she´ll have to do for that. Even the fact Marti´s working for him is a thorn in her flesh, ´cause she wants to be the only one who helps him. Understand?" Savannah tried to cloud the truth in some way but Marti just felt more and more pain.

The bag had done its job soon, she was breathing normal again. Time for an explanation, she thought by herself, still shaking all over inside. "Professor Rathbone threatened me," she answered carefully. "She wanted me to quit my job for Julian, otherwise I´m going to feel her force. Sounded really frightening to me. She´ll probably wear me down in the gym..."

"Bullshit!" Alice laughed out loud. "I´m the captain of the squad and I won´t let anyone be worn down by her, got it?"

Marti decided to tell her half the truth to show the serious aspects of her realistic fears. "She told me about the kitten. It was a warning for me. _Only_ for me." Again she had to breathe into the bag to calm down a bit.

Savannah still held Marti´s hand. "It´s okay, baby, breathe! Alice, I think we can´t risk to bring her up against us. She´s our ticket to the next competition." Begging eyes looked at the captain.

"I´m better than her," Alice answered dryly. "Let´s see whether she´s going to work clean or I´m going to report her to the dean. No one threatens my squad!"

"She must be friends with the athletic director... Maybe her power is way bigger than we all know. I mean, how did she get the job as coach although she´s only a professor for English and History?" Savannah thought loudly. "Marti, what do you think?"

The blond girl nodded knowingly. "Right. Looks like she has the power to destroy us. We have to be careful in every way. I´m going to tell Julian soon. He´ll be angry like hell, I swear."

"So, your little affair will be over then, right?" Alice knew exactly how to hurt someone. Her face was celebrating a sudden triumph.

Marti and Savannah both sat there in numbness, looking astonishing at her teammate. They simply had no words for her evil comment on Marti´s secret and serious relationship. Therefore the dark-haired Hellcat had to answer herself.

"I _so_ knew it! You´re really taking the risk to get the squad worn out by the ex-wife of your old as the hills boyfriend? Seems like I´ll have to beat two dragons on legs!" she remarked mischievous, showing her deepest disgust on the obvious circumstances.

Marti got her self-confidence back by Alice´s direct offense. "That´s none of your fucking business with whom I´m going to spend my free time, got it? You´re just a jealous witch! The professor is one of the most upright characters I know and you have no right to defame him that way!" she yelled at Alice in highest agitation.

"But you _still_ have an affair with someone of the teaching staff." The captain answered quietly, celebrating her victory.

"We don´t have any affair or whatever the fuck else! I´m with Morgan, remember?"

"Dream on, girlie! I´m not such an idiot like the rest of us. He must be a real hotshot, am I right?" Alice was laughing harshly while walking away confident of victory.

"His excellent brain is his only weapon, Alice! But _you_ definitely won´t get to know something else than excellent dicks! Go and get yourself the next quarterback!" Marti yelled at Alice´s back.

Alice stopped immediately, turning around gimlet-eyed. "You´ll NEVER gonna be one of us!" She stormed out furiously.

"Thank God, I won´t!" Marti whispered at the end of her tether, looking desperately at Savannah. "He´ll kill me. He´ll definitely kill me!"

"No, he won´t. Alice may be a snake in the grass but she won´t tell anybody, I bet. Believe me, I know her. This is something between you and her. Let´s call it kind of a bitch fight."

"Really encouraging!" Marti sighed and put away the bag into which she had breathed a few minutes before.

o o o o o o o o o o o

Later that day, Marti visited her mum at home. Travis had told her about the recent arguments going on between her mother and her father. She asked Deidra to come along to get things fixed again. Her sister had been very close since they had had their argument after nationals. Deidra had admitted to know Rex had been in jail, but he had never tried to contact her before that call on the party when Marti had answered the phone. So the two girls came to a decision: no more arguing because of Rex and his unpredictable behavior.

"You have to move _out_! Immediately!" Wanda shouted hysterically at her ex-husband.

Rex stayed cool. "I can´t. You know what Julian said."

"Who cares about his opinion! I don´t want you to stay here any longer!"

Marti and Deidra just came in to interrupt that awful discussion. The two gamecocks held back for a moment, being caught by the girls and staring at them in total surprise. Marti finally found her voice again.

"Mum...!" she sighed. "Can´t you let things go their way like Julian intended them to?"

"I´m not Mother Teresa! And _he_ gets on my nerves every single minute!" Wanda pointed on her ex, rolling eyes in disgust.

Rex just shrugged his shoulders. He refused to defend himself. Deidra hit him hard on his back and murmured something like he had to be glad to be able to stay here.

Marti wanted to know in detail. "What´s the problem? Does he pee standing up? Snore? Leaving the tube of toothpaste open? What is it you don´t like about him?"

Her mother looked at her in disbelief. "Ridiculous!"

"So, what is it? Tell me! I wanna hear from you directly!"

"He´s trying to... Forget it!" Wanda sat down on the couch, pouting.

That was the moment Rex seemed to awake again. "Maybe I had been to offensive, girls. Thought she´d still like me..."

"You tried to hit on me, moron!" Wanda remarked agitated. "As if I would ever want to take you back after having spent 300 bucks to get rid of you! Aww!"

"She thought about it, girls, I know," Rex grinned viciously. "But I maybe shouldn´t have done it the way I did. I´m sorry, Wanda."

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Mum... Travis told me he can´t stand your arguments any longer. He´ll move out if you don´t stop doing that. Do you really want him to leave?"

Rex answered instead. "I do!"

Wanda shook her head in helplessness. "WHY do I always have to deal with former prisoners? It sucks to be Mother Teresa walking down the death row!"

"I´ve asked you, if you´d like to let Travis leave. So?"

"So, what?"

"Answer me!" Marti yelled impatiently.

Wanda mumbled. "That´s - none - of - your - fucking - business!" she emphasized every word.

"It IS my business! Julian will get back to me to fix your problem and you both know that! Thought you were adult, for heaven´s sake!" The young Hellcat sat down next to her mum and looked angrily at her parents.

Deidra led their dad to one of the chairs around the table and they both sat down, staying in silence. You could have heard a pin drop. Some minutes later Wanda tried to start the conversation again.

"Okay. One condition!" she looked at her ex-husband. "You´re never to hit on me again. Take it or leave it!"

Deidra hit him again on his back. "Ouch! You´re an evil girl!" he complained. With a glance in Wanda´s face he decided to accept her condition. "Okay, Wanda... I´m not going to hit on you here anymore."

Marti sighed respectfully. "Finally! You both have to be willing to sacrifice everything, do you understand? Julian won´t defend you in case you´re ruining his strategy. He told me about the circumstances and you have to be very careful, Rex. So, please don´t you fight each other again, okay?"

"Okay. Have you met Travis?" Wanda asked quietly.

"Yes, I have. He´s really worrying about you."

Rex snorted snidely. "He´s too young for her."

Marti and Deidra just have been fast enough to hold Wanda back once more. "Don´t!" Marti whispered to her from aside.

"He mustn´t do this to me! Every second sentence is like that one before! How to keep cool by those accusations?"

"Just let him talk, that´s all. You like Travis, don´t you? You have to ignore our dad and his so called funny comments, that´s all you can do."

"That´s easier said than done! He will get more and more furious by someone completely ignoring him. You don´t know your father, Marti!"

"I don´t like you to speak in the third person of me when I´m obviously present." Rex argued loud and clear. "And I´m just saying what I´m thinking. Travis isn´t good enough for you, Wanda. That´s all."

"But _you_ are?" she asked disbelieving. "Travis has never done drugs. What about you!"

"I´m clean. For a few years now."

"Nobody´s ever gonna get clean in prison!" Wanda laughed out loud.

"I did."

"Shut up!"

"Guys! Again that silly discussion! So, you´re really clean, dad?" Deidra asked, looking curiously at her father.

"I am. Seriously."

"And how is that?" Marti wanted to know doubtfully.

Rex looked at his ex-wife and sighed. "To be innocent in jail makes you wanna survive to show them all. I decided to stay clean for the day when I´ll get out of prison. It worked and it held me up all over the years."

"I still don´t believe you´re innocent." Wanda remarked dryly.

Rex nodded at her comment. "Julian does."

"He has to. He´s your defense counsel."

"Oh Mum!" Marti hit her on the thigh. "We have real evidence of his innocence, Julian just has to get Eddie confessing. And believe me, he will!"

"Listen, Marti! He´s your _hot_ law professor, I know that. But he can´t do magic, can he? Right. This guy named Eddie must be really crazy to confess to him or to anyone else. They could have caught him long before if it had been that easy."

"They didn´t search for the murderer at all. They had Rex, he had been a welcome victim to close the case resolved. Statistics had to be tuned up. Easy enough for you, Mum?"

Wanda sat there eyes wide open, having no words for her daughter´s statement. It had been Rex to help her out.

"She´s right," he said quietly. "This is how it works. If you don´t have a serious counselor you can check in immediately."

"Absolutely. Julian always tried to stand up for his clients and for what he believes in." The blond Hellcat seemed to have to defend her boyfriend.

"He´s a fucking saint, we already know!" Wanda held back spitting out. "Since he brought Rex into my house I´m not his friend anymore. Of all things he could do wrong this is definitely the worst!"

Rex decided to leave the room, walking into the kitchen to relax a bit of Wanda´s speech. The girls wanted Marti´s mother to follow him to apologize for her words but Wanda didn´t want to do him that favor. So they let her promise not to offend him again and just let him live here in peace. She insisted on her condition of not being his new object of desire again. Rex agreed without any protest at all. He thought of having time to convince her. Slowly but surely. And not in her own house.

o o o o o o o o o o o

Heather knocked on the door of Dean Laverne´s bureau. She wanted to say thank you for the chance to give her the job as coach of the Hellcats squad. It had cost her much, way too much. Dean had insisted on a personal amorous tête-à-tête at his home. Nothing would stop her on her way to get Julian back and so she had gotten through this experience head held high.

"Come in!" Dean shouted good-humored like always.

Heather opened the door and entered the room. There was a blond woman with him, who she never had seen before. "Sorry, may I speak to you privately, please?"

"In a minute! May I present Miss Emily Raymond to you? She´s a good friend of mine. Emily, this is Mrs. Heather Rathbone, one of our English and History professors at Lancer university."

The two women examined one another for some seconds, finally smiling at each other and shaking hands. Some kind of magic had been going on between the two of them, that even Dean hadn´t recognized at all.

"You´re the new coach of the Hellcats, aren´t you?" Emily started the conversation.

"Yes, I am. Hope I´m doing well! And you are?"

"I´m the observer from _outside_ to get things clean and fixed again. So, I´m going to let you talk to Dean in private. Maybe we could have lunch together in the refectory?"

Heather nodded with interest. "I´d love to. See you later."

Emily left the room, smiling all over. Something told her that could be a real opportunity for a new interesting friendship.

"Okay, she´s gone." Dean grinned amusedly. "You´re coming to beg for a second date?"

"You wish! I just wanted to say thank you for everything. It´ll be a new experience to manage the cheer leading squad and I´m doing my best to get them well shaped for the next competition."

"You´re offer came just in time. How did they take it? I mean the girls?"

"They´re kind of rebellious, I think. Loyal to the former coach Miss Lodge, but I think I´m going to break their will soon enough." An evil grin went along with her estimation of the current situation.

Dean Laverne smiled back to her. "I see, we understand one another."

"We definitely do. Have to go now. Next lesson will be starting in about ten minutes," she remarked, looking nervously at her watch.

"Good luck with the rebels! You have to be perfect, otherwise the money will go to the volleyball team. Got it?"

"I know. They´ll win the next competition. Big promise." Heather nodded goodbye and left Dean´s office.

Her way led her straight to her next English lesson. She did a good job, like always. Looking forward to meeting that interesting woman again she had met at Dean´s bureau. When she finally entered the refectory at lunch time and sat down across the table, Emily smiled friendly, having a toast with her glass of water.

"There you are!" Red Raymond´s ex-wife said happily. "I thought you´d chicken out of meeting me in private."

"Hello, Emily. I´d never chicken out of anything. So, why did you want me to talk to you?"

"It´s my job to know everything about the teaching staff and some bird twittered me you´re professor Parish´s ex?"

Heather suddenly got a little nervous by hearing that. "That´s true. What´s that interesting about it?"

"I just wanted to talk to someone with the same history, you know? It´s kind of lonely in my position. My ex is the football coach, Red Raymond. He´s together with Miss Lodge, the former coach of your squad. Maybe we could help one another in some way?"

"Means in particular?" Heather asked carefully. She always identified the snakes and Emily had to be one of them.

"I don´t want Vanessa Lodge to feel safe. She destroyed my marriage, let´s say, she was one of the girls of the university to sleep with my husband, her teacher, ten years ago. Now that they are together, I don´t want them to be happy. She should feel the same pain I did years ago, you know?"

"Sweet revenge?"

"Short for, yeah!"

"I know what you mean. What is my part on that problem?"

"Maybe you could try to get Red laid and let her know." Emily smiled like she had never asked for such scheming action.

No way, Heather thought immediately. She was about to win Julian back, there was no place for Red or whoever the fuck else. "I can´t."

"Why not?"

"My ex. I want him back. He didn´t cheat on me, he just... Doesn´t matter. I can´t."

"Is there anything I could do for you? In exchange?"

"In exchange? Well, there is one thing you could do, of course..."

Emily smiled again. "That is?"

"Do you know any gynecologist I can totally trust?"

"Your face tells me some bad project, am I right?" Emily grinned all over. To take revenge was the sweetest thing ever and she really liked to help one of her spiritual sisters.

Heather nodded kind of embarrassed. "I´m guilty, I have to admit. So... Will you help me by giving me some address to handle in exchange to try hitting on Red Raymond by whoever is willing to do?"

The two women whispered for a few minutes and when Heather waved goodbye, she had the name of her future gynecologist in her bag. Right before leaving the refectory, Alice crossed her way.

"Coach! How are you? I heard you´re trying to threaten some of my girls of the squad?" The captain remarked dryly when Heather walked by.

"Miss Verdura, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Keep out of my work! You´re not to blackmail me, got it?"

"Oh, did I say something like that? Think you got me wrong. I just wanted you to talk to me before acting like this. Vanessa always let me know about her strategy, you know? Worked well through the years."

"Now it´s my turn, honey. Keep out of this! Miss Perkins isn´t that good in History, she had to be pushed a little harder, that´s all." Heather went away without looking back.

Even if Alice didn´t like Marti that much these days, she felt sorry for her because of what had happened between the dragon and her. No coach had the right to do such thing to one of her girls. And if there might be a way to get rid of that scheming lady she would do whatever had to be done.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, August 06, 2011

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	18. Confessing

Hey there to all you readers out there!

I´ve been to Portugal for holidays, that´s why I am that late.

And in addition, my beta reader hadn´t got the time to read my stuff for a long time.

Hope you´re still interested in the story ;-)

Many thanks to the last reviewer, I was very happy to hear from you again, _pinkcrazyness_!

Let´s start with the next chapter, I think you better like to read than listen to my blah ...

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**~ 17 ~**

_Confessing_

"You really think that this is the right thing to do?" Marti asked Julian, walking next to him in the hallway of the university. They were on their way to the dean to do the necessary step in telling him about their relationship.

"We definitely have no choice. She is able to report us in an uncomfortable way and I don´t trust her at all," Julian answered quietly.

Together they stopped in front of the dean´s bureau and looked at each other desperately. Julian knocked on the door and they both took a deep breath.

"Come in!" The dean shouted from inside.

His secretary smiled encouraging at the two of them and Julian opened the door with self-confidence.

"Professor Parish? Miss Perkins? You wanted to see me? Take a seat, please!"

Marti sat down first, Julian was a real gentleman to held her the seat.

"Good morning, Dean Witherspoon. We wanted to see you, yes. We have to talk to you in private. Miss Perkins and I seem to be in real trouble," Julian carefully began the conversation with trembling fingers.

Marti cleared her throat. "He´s right, Mr. Dean. It´s because of the new Hellcats´ coach Professor Rathbone," she explained herself with shivering legs under the desk.

The much older man looked astonishing at his guests in front of him. "You have my full attention."

Julian sighed, looking at Marti once more, then he began to speak as unemotional as possible. "It can´t be told carefully, so I say it quick and easy: Miss Perkins and I are in a mature relationship. She´s not my student, by the way. So, fact is that Professor Rathbone is my ex-wife and she´ll probably try to torment Marti, erm... Miss Perkins while practicing." He suddenly had to take a deep breath. "There had already been some attempts to threaten her with reporting us to you."

The dean´s eyes went from Julian to Marti and back again. He just tried to sort what he had heard a few seconds before. Although it seemed a little weird and not really socially acceptable, he had to admit there´s sitting a sweet couple in front of him. To get back to reality again, he shook his head and cleared his throat in a certain embarrassment.

"So, you decided to anticipate the coach. Wise decision. In my opinion, you´re really courageous. To flee forward is probably the best way to react on such bad behavior. However, it´s not frowned upon for teachers to have relationships with any students, you _do_ know that." Dean Witherspoon looked seriously at Julian.

"You´re right, absolutely," Julian admitted. "I can´t excuse myself except the fact that this is not a simple affair but a serious relationship."

"What´s your comment on that, Miss Perkins?" the dean asked quietly.

Marti intertwined her fingers with Julian´s and sighed heavily. "I´m not obligated to answer that question but as I want you to be appreciative for our love, I´m telling you the truth. Maybe I´m quite young and maybe he´s way older than I am but at the moment Julian is my life and I would do everything to protect him. Professor Rathbone has been really weird to me and she also admitted to have put the murdered kitten in front of the Hellcats´ house to warn me. She has to be stopped or at least to be observed for not doing some more cruel things to me or the squad itself."

Julian had never been more proud of her. He pressed her fingers in his hand and nodded in agreement. "Whatever you do, Dean Witherspoon, you should think of being very careful to not let her know about your actions. Heather, my ex, is a bit out of character these days, I think."

The dean was more than just impressed by Marti´s speech. This young girl had spoken very clearly and convincingly to him about her feelings and the current situation. Julian instead seemed a bit helpless to him what made him think of him as some hopelessly devoted man to his younger girlfriend. Very charming, too.

"I can´t sign her off the job as coach. It´s the athletic director´s business. But I can assure you of keeping an eye on Professor Rathbone and in case she misbehaves again, we´re able to do the next step. All you need is evidence, you should know best, Professor Parish, right?"

"Right. Thank you so much for your understanding. We owe you a favor," he answered respectfully standing up to shake the dean´s hand goodbye with a big smile on his face.

Marti followed right ahead. "Thank you. You have no idea what that means to Julian and me," she said quietly and offered him a handshake, too. "We´re in your dept."

"You can do me a favor, too. Keep your little arrangement a secret, please. I would have to take appropriate action otherwise."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Julian dared to ask.

"The faculty members would have to vote on your problem and you´d risk to lose your chair on violating the moral code of the university. Miss Perkins is a student and you´re a teacher. Some of the old members wouldn´t care about her being old enough or even not joining your class. There are some rules of morality ever since. You understand?"

Julian nodded. "Absolutely." He turned around and left the bureau with Marti´s hand in his own one. Just to show the dean what´s real.

Marti was still trembling all over. "I told you. I told you before..., " she murmured after closing the door, letting him out of her hand for not showing anyone else their feelings for one another.

"Calm down, Marti. He _had_ to say that. After a few months we´re able to live our relationship openly, you know? He just needs some time to get the faculty members on our side."

"You really believe in that? He´s about to help us?"

Julian smiled all over, opening the door to the hallway. "I do. Some secret talks here and there and he will get that fixed. Manus manum lavat. A few years ago I helped him to defend his son at court because of a car accident. I just wanted you to seem honest and real, so I didn´t tell you about that little important fact."

Marti suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Still have to learn a lot..., " she murmured in a stunned way. "Should have remembered your opinion about the _ten things every lawyer does__ wrong_: Connections are half the battle. A good lawyer manipulates the system to secure the right venue, the right judge and the right jury. Calling in favors and exploiting personal relationships are an essential part of the process..."

"I feel flattered again," he offered her a warm smile. "Sorry for not having been honest to you before."

Marti shook her head, trying to hide the big grin on her face. "You´re evil. And I feel way more optimistic now than before. Just don´t do that again, okay? I wanna be your friend, too, not only your lover."

"You already are!" Julian secretly fondled her back to show his respect. "We deserve some privacy now, don´t we?" he murmured hoarsely.

"You wish!" Marti whispered back to him, running away to make him believe she´s not willing to come home with him right now. Sweet little revenge of hers.

The law professor grinned amusedly and went on the same speed as before. She certainly would wait for him at home, he bet. They had to celebrate their victory and so he decided to buy some champagne on his way home, while Marti was riding her bike back to his house.

o o o o o o o o o o o

Travis stood behind the bar and served one of their guests. He had said nothing the whole evening. Wanda didn´t try to talk to him but he seemed angry about Rex sitting right in front of him for a few minutes now, so she didn´t want to offend him even more. The best way to keep both of them quiet was to avoid their company.

"Have you ever had a real profession, Travis?" Rex asked curiously, when Wanda had gone away to serve at some of the tables.

"I´m a musician, like you used to be."

"Ah, she´s having a soft spot for the caged rock stars then. That´s quite linearly, isn´t it?"

"You forgot the innocent aspect."

"Right – the innocent caged rock stars. How about founding a band together?"

Travis laughed out loud. "No fucking way!"

"Why not, dude?"

"I´m not your dude!" Travis answered huffily, drying the beer glasses with a towel. "That´s the best reason not to try to have a band together."

"Good point."

Travis nodded. "I want you to leave Wanda alone. To not hit on her anymore. Got it?"

"Since you´re not my dude, I´m not obligated to follow your rules, you know?" Rex countered smart. He got off the bar stool and went away to his former wife standing in front of one of the tables to take the dishes away. When he reached her, he embraced her from behind, whispering softly in her ear. "We´re not at your home now, so I dare to make another try. How about dancing with me?"

Wanda winced at his sudden appearance. "No way!"

"Come on, Wanda! Give it a try! I loved you once, I will again! Now, that I´m aware of drugs, hm?" he answered charming, looking victoriously at Travis behind the bar.

Wanda growled. "Stop it! I don´t want you to do that and you know it! You promised!"

"Just a short dance! You´ll see I can be a real gentleman. Please!"

"Take your hands of my butt, immediately!"

"One little dance!"

"No, not even one single second!"

Rex tried to turn her around but Wanda gave him a slap in the face right off the bat. The next thing they both noticed was Julian saying hello to them.

"I need some champagne, maybe you can help me out with that, Wanda?" The professor asked, looking punishing at his client. "I remember you promising to keep your fingers off your host?" he turned to Rex with an icy voice.

Wanda happily went away to look for the champagne and Rex tried to answer on a difficult question.

"Have mercy with me, Counselor! We have a history, Wanda and I, doesn´t that count anything?"

"Not as long as you´re staying at her house. Otherwise you have to search for a new home and that wouldn´t be good for your case, got it?" Julian explained once more.

"Yeah... How long will it take? ´Cause this _hobo_ is trying to catch my girl in the meantime!"

"I´m sorry, you´ll have to live with it." The Professor went to the bar for taking a look at the champagne Wanda had dug out of the reefer. "Not that bad!" he remarked wondering. "Since when do you serve such exclusive wine?"

"Since my daughter dates an exclusive man," she said smiling. "Thank you, Julian. Rex really can be an annoying bug sometimes. You better try to find another host for your client!"

"I can´t, Wanda. Try to make it through, okay? It´ll not take that long, I promise."

Travis came over to them and couldn´t avoid answering Julian´s remark. "You better hurry, dude, ´cause we´re about to start a band together!"

Both, Wanda and Julian, stared at him in disbelief. He really looked serious but inside he had to hold back bursting into laughter. After the first shock, Wanda searched for an answer.

"My deepest fears will come true... I better switch to some boring accountant, right?" she looked at Julian, waiting for hearing some good comment on that.

"Think he was kidding, Wanda. Right?" Julian wanted to know of Travis. "RIGHT?" he added a little louder because of a suddenly upcoming insecurity.

Travis allowed himself to smile. "Right. But... Rex really made an offer on that. I hardly could believe it myself."

Wanda´s hand went over her forehead with relief. "Damned! You really got me! Holy crap! You guys are about to force my early death!"

They laughed together. "Come on Wanda! You can be very proud of being idolized by more than just one male," Julian murmured amusedly.

"Are _you_ going to be number three?" Travis asked scared, looking astonishing at Julian.

The professor smirked. "I have to go now. The champagne waits to be opened together with my sweetheart, you know?" He turned around without directly answering the question.

Travis sighed heavily and Wanda had to hold back a big grin. "So, you´re definitely number two? You´re pretty jealous, aren´t you?" she said to him with real amusement in her eyes.

She didn´t get an answer on that because of Rex coming back to the bar again...

o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Girls, you totally suck! Even you, Lewis, haven´t got enough practice to do the right moves! I wonder how you guys ever got to a competition before!" Heather shouted with angry face. "Miss _I-__can-do-it-better-Lodge_ must have been blind! We have to work out a new performance at once. So just try to keep yourself shaped from now on!"

The squad just looked at their coach in a disgusted way, not capable of answering on her demands. So Heather went on with her accusations. Evilness was so much easier than to behave.

"Miss Perkins! Your ass is way to fat, Lewis won´t be able to lift you anymore. You have to lose about six pounds within the next three weeks, got that?"

Marti never had heard a more discriminating speech. She felt terrible, hearing all those awful things. "Lewis has never had problems to lift me or throw me up in the air. This is ridiculous!"

"I can´t accept your little rebellious behavior. Down on the floor! You have to exercise a little harder, I think – fifty push-ups, immediately!" Heather demanded with icy voice.

As the other girls could hardly believe what was happening here, they began to whisper excitedly to each other. Alice wanted to stop this to show their independence. So she dared to answer on Heather´s rude reaction.

"Aren´t you a little unfair, coach?" she said reservedly just to not bring her up against them even more.

"Well, Miss Verdura, you need some more physical practice, too, I think. You deserve to accompany Miss Perkins! Down on the floor! Go!"

Everyone felt the obvious hate in Heather´s words. Since none of them wanted to do fifty push-ups themselves, they decided not to interfere again and Alice went down on the floor, together with Marti, exchanging a killing glance. The war had begun, there was a certain need of getting rid of this female dragon.

"Faster!" The coach ordered strictly.

Lewis couldn´t watch the girls do over their strength and so did the other guys of the squad. "Coach, you can´t let them do fifty push-ups! That´s too much for girls. Even I have difficulties to do that and I´m not that bad in shape, right?"

"So, you maybe should join them to do it better! Down on the floor yourself!"

The first time Lewis tried to rebel against a teacher. He came out of the group, right in front of Heather and crossed his arms over his chest. "I won´t! We´re going on strike from that moment on! Right, Hellcats?" He looked back over his shoulder, hoping they would join him.

Alice and Marti stopped their push-ups immediately, looking frightened at Lewis from below. The captain stood up hectically and tried to speak for the whole squad.

"You have to excuse Lewis, coach. He´s a bit huffy, you know? We won´t go on strike, right Hellcats?" she asked her teammates by not recognizing Lewis´s disapproval on purpose.

No answer was an answer, too.

"But you can´t...!" Lewis began to complain again.

"Think again, Lewis!" Alice cut him short. "And show us your fifty push-ups right now, please!" she smiled disarming. "I know you´ll look amazing doing it..."

Her eyes must have told the young man to stop his revolution. "You´re the captain," he said quietly and started with his discipline.

Heather felt victoriously, smiling all over. But her glance wandered to Marti, telling her some kind of disrespect and hate. The young Hellcat had to fight goosebumps all over and tried to go on with the exercise. She could hardly reach fifty but she was willing to try to beat that hateful lady in front of them. All of the three delinquents reached their demanded goal and earned a big applause from their teammates. Afterwards, Heather let them practice some new moves together and when the lesson was over, she wanted Marti to come over to talk to her. Savannah waited excitedly for her some foot steps away.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Marti began civilized, a storm raging inside her.

"Yes, I do. How about your work for professor Parish? Did you cancel your job like I told you?"

"I´m sorry, but he won´t let me go. I tried to, but he said that he can´t do without any help. And he also told me not to follow your rules."

"Come on, you just have to quit! Your dirty little affair will be over soon, anyway!" Heather answered with an evil grin on her face. "Julian recently told me you were a bit prude, you know?"

"He did? Well, you wish! Listen! You may torment me here in the gym but you´re never to get me out of Julian´s life, got it?" Marti responded self-confidently and went away immediately.

"You will, I bet!" The coach shouted at her back, recognizing Savannah watching her from a distance with kind of disgust. "Back off!" she told her, looking really pissed-off.

Savannah turned around, murmuring _"Bitch"._

"I heard that." Mrs. Rathbone remarked dryly and killed her with a glance at her back. Savannah would have to see the dean soon, she decided. No one will ever talk to her like that.

The two girls left the gym together and met Alice and the squad in the locker room again. The captain was about to explain her decision on not going on strike to the teammates, when the girls finally entered the room.

"There she is!" Alice welcomed her with a wide grin. "So, Marti, I told them about your little personal problem with the dragon and we decided to avoid every argument with the coach. First of all, we should care about the next competition. And we have to deal with that evil lady as long as she rules the squad. But I promise to break her neck myself whenever there´ll be the possibility to. Are you with me, guys?"

"United we stand!" The whole squad murmured, standing in a circle and holding their hands upon each other.

"Thank you guys..." Marti said impressed. "You have to know that Julian an I, I mean Professor Parish and I, we are in a romantic relationship. The dean knows about it, he´s not my teacher anymore and we just work together on some of his cases but Heather doesn´t want me to," she sighed heavily. "Good, now you all know. Morgan´s out."

"Good to know that you´re honest at least," Alice remarked smiling. "Meanwhile we unfortunately have to play the dragon´s game but I´m sure we´ll find a method to get Vanessa back, right guys?"

"Right!" They all swore together.

"You really have a relationship with someone _that_ old?" Lewis wanted to know curiously. "I mean, when you and me had been together, I never thought you´d like... I better shut up, right?"

"Absolutely!" Marti shook her head in disbelief. "Maybe you better start to beg for not losing Alice to someone _that_ old, too?"

"Hell, are you crazy?" Alice screamed kind of shocked. "I don´t do wrinkles at all!" She nearly spit out.

Marti smiled, being not angry at all. "No comment on that. You´d wish to have someone like him in your bed, I swear." She didn´t want to give Julian´s feeling about having purchased a Porsche himself some credit. Onlookers like Alice weren´t important at all.

Most of the squad had left the locker room already. But Lewis still stood there mouth opened and gasping for breath. "Hey! You can´t say I´m not good at making love!" he complained huffily, then staring at her accusingly.

"We haven´t ever made _love_, Lewis, remember? It´s been sex, nothing else," Marti countered.

Alice took his hand and tried to pull him out of the room. "Thank God, you didn´t!" she yelled at her, walking away with Lewis, who was looking quite insecure like never before.

Savannah hit Marti on her back, laughing out loud. "I´ve never seen her more depressed! But, tell me, are you serious? Dan and I recently had our first time and... And it felt like it could have been love. So, how do you know?"

"You _do_ know, believe me!" the blond Hellcat winked knowingly.

"Oookaaay... Next question: Julian – is he really such an amazing lover? I mean, nobody´s perfect, right?"

Marti opened the door to let Savannah pass through first. "Let me say it like that: He´s perfect for me. You´re okay with that?"

"Definitely!"

They went home, giggling the whole way long about their different experiences in bed.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 10/02/2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Wanna read more?

It´s already written down. ;-)


	19. Women s weapons

Nice to meet you again here, guys!

It didn´t take that long this time, I´m really proud of my beta reader ^^ Thanks to JKT, I love you ;-)

So, I have to answer the reviews first. Thank you so much for commenting!

**DarkandLovely-2**: It´s never been a problem of writing, I just have to wait for my beta reader ;-)

**whiteangel91: **I hate Julian´s ex, too – who wouldn´t? * lol * I´m hoping to go on easier just like you, but I have to be patient, waiting for the green light given by my beta reader.

Thanks for putting my story on your alert list, it´s good to see you´re still interested. ^^

Enough of small talk.

Hope you enjoy this one ;-)

o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 18 ~**

_Women´s weapons_

The weeks went on, practice did go sufferably and Marti had to go through some other awful situations with the coach. After having been threatened once more, Julian decided to pay his former wife a visit at home. He was indignant, he could hardly believe what Marti had told him about Heather´s latest coup. She really dared to adjust her in front of the Hellcats´ home to make a scene because of Ally´s grave, which she had decorated for new herself before. Heather thought of Marti having changed the deco again and the blond Hellcat denied all on edge. At the end of the fight, Lewis had to come out of the house to force the professor and coach to leave Marti and the squad alone. _Hell to the cat _was the last thing Heather had shouted disgustingly at them while walking away.

It was about Ally, his little sunshine, so Julian had to react on this immediately. He had changed the deco himself because Heather had really outdone herself. The grave had looked like a sea of flowers with some treats and toys between the blossoms. In addition there were some plush cats with knifes sticking in their chests, like the real one in front of Marti´s door. He could hardly believe what she had done and had been angry and totally disgusted for two days before finally being able to take them away secretly and change the whole decoration. Now that he was being on his way to the dragon, Marti didn´t know about it. He wanted her not to be frightened or even jealous. Instead, _he_ was.

Deep inside he felt terrible. Seeing her in private, in her own house, could be a fault, he knew that well. After the offensive gesture with the plush cats even more. But there was no other way of bringing her back to earth again, he thought. The one and only possibility to get through to her was Ally and their common past. It was worth a try. Otherwise he had to draw the consequences, whatever that meant. His advantage was to come without a warning, so she couldn´t think about her answers before. An interesting phone call with his former mother-in-law had made clear that she hadn´t finished her therapy at all. Even Mrs. Rathbone, Senior told him to be careful, because she didn´t trust her daughter anymore since she had freaked out once at her parents´ home only a few months ago.

When he was staying in front of her door now, putting his finger on the bell to ring, he felt frightened like hell, shivering all over. There was some fuss going on inside, he could hear her shout to someone with a really icy voice. Then finally the door opened.

"Julian?" she welcomed him with a satisfied grin on her face. "Nice to see you! Come in, please!"

"I wanted to see you to talk to you about Ally", he said quietly and passed the threshold. "Are you alone?" He looked around, but couldn´t find anyone else being present.

"Sure! Let´s go into the kitchen, I was just preparing dinner." Heather followed him excitedly.

There weren´t a pan or some pot on the burner, so he looked at her questioningly. "What dinner?"

"Oh, I meant dinner for my doggie. He didn´t pay attention to my words and so I locked him in the toilet for a few minutes. Gonna get him out, just wait a second!" she excused herself, walked down the hallway to the cabin and opened the door. Suddenly a big hairy something came out running directly into the kitchen to sit down in front of Julian, barking and snarkling intensely.

Julian froze immediately. "What the fuck is _that_? It scares the hell out of me, dammit!" Both hands up in the air, he stood there frightened of the big gnarling dog in front of him.

"His name is Rufus. He´s an Irish wolfhound and my new best friend. I hoped you like him. He just has to make friends with you, so please take your hand and let him get your smell. He´s adorable, I swear!"

Julian was really nervous and didn´t know how to behave at all. Finally he let the monster smell his hand and actually the dog calmed a little bit down and started to howl. Heather sent Rufus back to his place in the living-room and then returned to talk to him.

"So, what did you want to talk about? Ally? What´s up with her?"

The professor sat down on one of the chairs without being asked. He still was a bit scared and had to calm down his heartbeat. "You tried to threaten Miss Perkins again. If you don´t stop being scary I have to draw the consequences, you know?"

"Which will be?" Heather still smiled, filling the dog´s bowl with some well done chicken meat and rice.

"You´ll get action for an injunction relating to Miss Perkins. I´m her lawyer."

"And her lover! Whatever you´ll do, I don´t care about it. You finally will return to me and Ally, that´s a fact. Just that simple."

"No, not that simple. I won´t return to you. We´re divorced. It´s over. I don´t want you to go on threatening my girlfriend, got it? She didn´t remove your decoration on the grave, but _I_ did. Thank God she hadn´t seen what you had put between those billions of flowers. I´m going to take care of the plush cats, in case you still try to follow your strategy. Evidence, you know?" Julian told her strictly. Inside he felt like a little boy fighting some demons of the night.

"You didn´t like the plush cats? They were sweet, I think. I don´t want Ally to talk to your dirty love affair, that´s all. She´s my little girl and no one has the right to take her away from me." Still she sounded very controlled and outmatched, while preparing the doggie´s food.

"Ally _can´t_ talk anymore."

"But the damned Hellcat can!"

"Do you really want me to hold you off the grave and your little girl? _Do you_?" Julian rose his voice in affection.

"Try. But think of your little affair..." Heather responded mischievously.

"You´re sick! Totally sick! You better go and see the doctor! Rose told me you interrupted your therapy a few months ago. This is not good at all and Ally would like you to get well, don´t you think so?" he argued louder than before.

"I feel just fine, believe me. I´ve never been more clear. So, get rid of that nasty bitch and we can start living together happily ever after."

Julian just shook his head about her answers. He didn´t even know that woman at all. "I told you. You chose!" He stood up and went out of the kitchen. Before he reached the front door, Rufus came hurrying along and sat down in front of him to keep him inside. "Rufus! Into your basket!" he shouted like Heather before and the dog ran away back to his place. He opened the door and went outside, still shivering all over, kind of having his legs turned to jelly.

"See! He likes you!" Heather yelled at him from the entrance. "I bet he hates your little bitch instead!"

Closing his eyes for a moment, Julian went on without turning around again. She knew how to frighten him once more. He got into his car and gnashingly drove away. Knowing exactly what he had to do next: Being the most biting lawyer he could possibly be.

o o o o o o o o o o

"I have to officially go after her accusation now." Dean Witherspoon said quietly, looking regretfully at Marti and Julian sitting in front of him again. "Everyone I talked to in the meantime is on your side, ´cause we got some weird information about coach Rathbone lately. The captain of the Hellcats had written a letter to me, very interesting, I can say! So stay calm and try not to worry about the upcoming disciplinary punishment. You won´t lose your chair, I promise."

"Are you sure about that? Will it be noticed in my personal file?" Julian asked carefully.

"Not at all. I´m sure that you´re not only a couple of lovers but you´re also trying to protect one another of harmful behavior. As far as I can see, Professor Rathbone is kind of dangerous for both of you and unfortunately we have to wait until she slips up."

Marti cleared her throat. "I could try to talk to Red Raymond, he maybe could help us to get rid of her as cheer leading coach. She just brings strife and angst to the squad."

"I don´t know how to do it, but it´s worth a try," the dean answered seriously. "It´s just that sports are an extra resort and that makes it so difficult to change things."

Julian sighed once more. "We´ll try to work something out. But please, keep an eye on my ex, cause she´s able to hurt someone physically. I don´t trust her at all, since she got that calf named Rufus!"

Marti turned her head around all of a sudden. "She got _what_?"

"A dog as big as a calf! It could kill you anyway!" Julian explained to his girlfriend and the dean.

"What if you try to get her hospitalized? This strange behavior must be enough to remove her from circulation, right?" dean Witherspoon remarked.

"Not really. I´m in contact with her former psychiatrist and he told me not to force her to go back to therapy, ´cause she might break out, kill herself, or even worse, kill one of us in the heat of the moment. We rather should try to calm her down, convince her to go and see her doctor again and so on. She has to commit some kind of crime to get arrested again, he said."

"Bad rules!" the dean answered. "Maybe you could get her with the dog? She might frighten some kids or something like that? How about a detective to follow her daily life?"

"Maybe...," Julian answered. "I´m thinking that over..."

"Okay! I´m going to talk to Red! He owes me one!" Marti decided on her own. "This must have an immediate end, I can´t live with such horrible imaginations!"

Julian stood up, looking at the dean with kind of begging eyes, thankful that Marti still didn´t know about the plush cats. "Thank you for your understanding. We´ll manage, I hope so."

"Don´t worry, I won´t allow you losing your chair. You´re one of the best professors we have at Lancer."

Marti and Julian said goodbye and left the bureau. They looked at each other and for about a minute had no words for their current problem. Then Marti began to talk again, when they were on their way outside the university.

"A calf?" she wanted to know once again, looking quite surprised.

"An Irish – whatever! He´s so big, you´d run away in fear, I swear!" Julian sighed heavily.

"So, I won´t pay Ally a visit alone no more, good idea?"

"Absolutely. Rufus would be able to breakfast you!" he sighed again.

"Rufus? That´s the name of the calf? Boy, she must be totally crazy!"

"Like I said, she´s dangerous. Hide or run whenever she comes along!"

He kissed her softly goodbye and got into the car. Marti took her bike to ride it home to the Hellcats´ house. They urgently needed to talk about their dragon, who was threatening them without any break.

o o o o o o o o o o

The squad sat around the table, talking about Marti´s new information on the dragon. The Irish wolfhound made them all really worrying. After the murdered kitten in front of their door, they had to calculate everything for not being badly surprised by Heather.

"She won´t take it to the practice, will she?"

"But to the competition!" Marti remarked. "She can´t let Rufus alone the whole weekend, right?"

"Maybe she needs a dog sitter?" Lewis said, thinking of some good way to earn some extra money. "We could ask her just for getting to know what she´s planning on doing."

Marti shook her head. "She doesn´t know that _we_ know about her doggie. Except Julian had told me. I don´t want her to believe that he´s a tattletale..."

Alice sighed heavily. "Bringing the calf to the competition could be really a weapon, I think."

"Absolutely. I`m not afraid of dogs but Julian said it´s so big you even can´t imagine!" Marti stood up and went to the fridge to get herself something to drink. "What about taking some treats with us? Just for being prepared?"

Savannah smiled, looking at her roommate. "That´s just what I thought! We should get that dog on our side!"

"And beat her with her own weapon?" Alice wanted to know doubting.

"Right! She doesn´t think of us getting friends with her doggie. It´ll be the best revenge to see her absolutely helpless when Rufus licks our cheeks!" The pre-law student giggled, giving a high five to Savannah across the counter top. "No, seriously – it´ll be quite sneaky and the perfect method to beat her."

For about an hour they discussed the possible maneuvers to oust their personal dragon and finally came to a decision before Marti left to Julian´s for staying the night with him. It maybe would afford some personal effort but Morgan and Marti were able to do that job anyway. Every pre-law should be able to.

o o o o o o o o o o

"I have to talk to her about the sellout." Julian looked begging at his girlfriend, patiently waiting for an answer.

"I don´t want you to pay her a visit again, okay? This woman is dangerous and she definitely is going to hurt you in some way. Remember the dog!"

Julian embraced her tightly. "Thanks for worrying about me, Porsche. We´ll do our own way. See!"

He took his cell phone and dialled Heather´s number. Using the speaker phone, they would both be able to hear every word she´d say.

Marti and Julian sat down on the couch, put the phone in front of them on the table, watching it while it was ringing at Heather´s. The young woman searched for his hand to hold and Julian lovingly intertwined their fingers.

"We have to be brilliant, you know?" he whispered in her ear. "She gets me frightened every time, so please just be there and don´t say anything or move yourself, okay? It´s my turn to complain."

Marti nodded, shivering all over when feeling his fear deep inside herself just by his shaking voice. Finally Heather answered the phone...

"Nice to hear from you, Jules! Wanna go for a walk with Rufus and me? He would like to get to know you better, you know?" The dragon began the conversation without any hello. She must have seen his number on the display.

"That´s not why I´m calling. I just wanted to say _thank you_ for reporting us to the dean. You´re even worse than I thought. Don´t you feel ashamed in any way?"

"I told you I´d do that. You knew before. This girl does no good to you," Heather said coarsely. "By the way, I was serious about walking Rufus together with you. So what do you say?" she asked with sweet voice as if nothing bad had ever happened.

Even Marti recognized her rude change from bitter to sweet. Julian looked at her, trying to get an answer on Heather´s question and Marti showed him a strict NO by shaking her head.

"Who´s looking after the dog while you´re at work?" Julian wanted to know from Heather instead of answering her question.

"At the moment that´s none of your business. Your business is to come back to me, into my bed and into my life. You just have to snap your fingers and I´m yours! I remember our nights, sweetie, you were the greatest lover I´ve ever had. Seriously. And my bed´s waiting for you – again."

"Maybe you should know that you´re not about to ruin me. I´m way more important than you could ever be and you won´t be able to destroy my career at all. Now that everybody knows about Marti and me it´s way easier for us, you know? Like I said, I have to thank you for reporting us. However, you should feel ashamed to act like a five year old girl who doesn´t get what she desires. Stay out of my life and don´t try to frighten Marti or anyone else of my friends again. I won´t hesitate to sue you." Julian said in a dry way, sighing heavily. Marti still starred at the phone on the table in front of her.

"Ally wants us to be together. Don´t you want her to have parents like everyone else? We could give a sibling to her, she certainly would love it!"

The blond Hellcat sat there eyes wide open. Julian fondled her thigh before answering. "DON`T you even THINK of it! I beg you to stay away from Marti and me. PLEASE!" He hung up immediately.

Marti had to hold her breath for a few seconds. Then she got back her confidence. "Tell me that I didn´t hear what I just heard. Please!"

Instead of answering her, the phone rang all of a sudden and he took a look at the display. "It´s _her_ again." He accepted the call with an angry look in his eyes. "_What_?" he yelled into the microphone while holding the phone at his ear this time.

"I´m lying naked on my king size bed right now, waiting for you to come and show me your affection. Our sex had always been great and visionary, remember? We could have that again...?" Heather whispered hoarsely in his ear.

Julian tried to avoid blushing and Marti gave him a curious glance, before he was able to answer Heather´s direct invitation. "No, I told you before. I am _not_ interested." He hung up again.

"What did she say?" Marti wanted to know.

"Just another try to win me back."

"Like what?"

"Like... She reminded me of the past. I´m going to put the phone away, okay? I can´t stand its presence anymore." He went away with shaking knees because of not having told her the truth. In his opinion, it would have been way to offensive. Marti was kind of sensitive and jealous, too. The way Heather talked to him maybe would offend her in some way and so he decided to not being completely honest.

"She uses Ally as pressurizing medium. Really horrible... " Marti said quietly when he returned to her on the couch. "I´d like to pay her a visit again. Will you come with me to the grave?"

"Of course, I will." He sat down beside her, looking deep into her eyes. "Have I ever told you that I love you?"

"Not lately," she smiled at him.

"Okay. I´m doing it right now. The fact that you worry about my daughter and me makes me want to hug you firmly, Porsche... You´re the sweetest thing ever in my life since Ally went away..."

"I´m still waiting...," she whispered, fondling his thigh with her fingers.

"Waiting for what?" Julian smiled again, leaning into her to kiss her.

She put her forefinger on his lips to stop him. "Say it."

"Say what?"

"Have I ever told you... Remember?" Marti tried to remind him carefully on his promise.

His face as near as possible to hers, his lips nearly touching hers, he smiled again and gave her what she desired so badly. "I love you, Marti. Truly, madly, deeply..."

Marti caught his lips immediately with her own ones, kissing him passionately but however in a really romantic way. He pushed her softly back into the pillows, feeling every inch of her wonderful perfect body with all of his senses. To let himself drown in her presence and their love for each other made him forget all those bad things happening lately for a while. Marti put her arms around his neck and snuggled up to him. Her fingers ran through his wonderful hair, fondling his neck and the hair line while kissing him in a caring way. To feel their tongues caressing one another, patiently exploring themselves and celebrating the slowness was the most exciting experience they both have ever gone through. It was about making love, not just having sex. Feeling safe and warm was the most interesting effect they both needed the most at this moment.

Julian enjoyed laying with her much more than he´s ever done with Heather. Just because his heart was involved in every touch and every kiss they exchanged. He thought once more of not having known before what real love was going to be like. And he´d given away all of the visionary memories just to make him forget that long term false relationship with some kind of maniac called Heather. The moment he entered Marti´s body he felt like being in heaven, floating four inches above the ground. They merged to an interconnected couple, staying breathless for a moment because of the effervescent feelings.

"Wow..." Marti whispered beneath his ear with closed eyes, not moving in the slightest.

Julian lifted his head, opening his eyes again, looking at her in real rapture. "You´re mine..." His voice sounded softly and in love.

They both began to move again. Julian got himself deep into her, feeling every muscle moving inside her on his own erection. Kissing one another all over, licking over their whole bodies, using their hands to fondle each other, they brought themselves to highest agitation again. When he finally shot his load inside her, moaning, Marti yelled her own orgasm into the night. Lying together, him being still sunk into her, they rested in an honest embrace, listening to their gasping breath. Julian snagged the blanket lying over the arm rest of the couch behind Marti´s head and covered their heated bodies, still keeping himself inside her. Marti enjoyed him being that near and interconnected with herself. They snuggled up together, sighing contentedly with a wide grin on their faces.

"The perfect way to die some day..." He whispered in her curly hair, smiling satisfied.

"Together, okay. I won´t like to crawl forth from underneath you, if you´ve died in my arms after or while having made love to me."

Julian suddenly lifted his head frightened. "Oh my god, you´re such a morbid girl!"

"We could get ourselves some poison like Romeo and Juliet, what do you think?" she grinned amusedly.

"Don´t dare kidding about that! Heather´s capable of doing such thing, too!"

"She would murder you and herself, not me and you, don´t you think so?" Marti thought about a real life remake of Shakespeare´s play in 2011.

Julian´s heartbeat nearly stopped for a moment. "I don´t even want to THINK about it, Porsche! How can you talk about it that composedly?"

"You have to know your enemy. That´s all. I´m trying to be the first having some kind of special ideas. So we´ll be prepared to her future actions, right?"

"Right. But..." Julian wasn´t able to talk about poisoning someone, not even Heather, nor himself.

"...but you´re hoping not be confronted with those kind of ideas. I got it. You prefer the head-in-the-sand policy."

All of a sudden Julian slipped out of her and sat up on the couch, putting the blanket over his thighs while hiding his anger. "I am not stupid, Marti! I just don´t want to imagine a scenery that horrible! I mean, even Glenn Close didn´t try to kill Michael Douglas that sneaky way!"

"But he shot her at the end. Do you prefer to get yourself a gun?"

"My weapon is my brain. I´m going to beat her with intellect and my profession," he looked accusingly at his young girl friend. "Do you trust me?"

"I do. But I don´t trust _her_, you know?"

"Neither do I. Let´s stop that ridiculous conversation about _Heather and Julian_, okay? I wanted this evening to be romantic and really intimate. Just you and me together, showing our love for each other. I didn´t want it to turn out into a crime session." He stood up, taking her hand to change place upstairs to their bedroom.

"I´m sorry, Julian. It´s just that I can feel her planning something really evil. Do you understand?" Marti followed him on the stairs, enjoying him still holding her hand.

They both were still naked and when Julian shut the door behind the young girl, she suddenly put her arms around his neck and had to hold back her upcoming tears. Julian gulped when feeling her shivering all over, trying to calm her down again by stroking slowly up and down her wonderful back.

"You´re safe, honey. No one will be able to hurt you, I promise," he said quietly.

Marti snuffled for a moment. "I don´t know what I´d do without you...," she murmured, wiping away a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Julian could still feel the wet skin of her face. "I´m sorry for not taking you serious." He looked into her frightened face, recognizing the watered eyes. "I don´t want you to be afraid of anything. Okay? She mustn´t win, ´cause that´s what she´s up to. Have you already talked to Red?"

"Not yet. You should come with me."

"Okay. I´m calling him tomorrow. We´ll meet somewhere else, just to not let her know what´s going on."

"That would be the wise decision."

"Let´s forget the problems now and go to sleep, okay?" he asked, smiling again. "I´m freezing."

Marti smirked, looking at his body in front of her. Goosebumps all over on his arms and legs. But he also had an erection again. "You´re pretty prepared, aren´t you?" she joked with an amused grin on her face.

"I´m just reacting on your sexy look...," he murmured, blushing all over. "You definitely have no idea how perfect you are. Lately, a friend of mine told me he would give his last shirt to be together with you for just one night..."

Marti pushed him backwards to their bed, let him fall upon the sheets and put her right foot on the sheets next to his thigh. Julian´s eyes just focused on her sanctum, being shown kind of teasing. How to control himself by that offensive invitation? He hadn´t been able to hold back his sexual arousal anymore and moaned heavily instead of anything else Marti maybe had intended to force.

"Since we decided not to do things she had done to you, I have not that much possibilities to please you, right?" Marti whispered, kneeling over his thighs. "But I let you see what your able to possess, if you don´t move a single moment from now on. Okay?"

Julian´s trembling legs made her smile again and he tried to answer as eloquent as possible. "You´re freaking incredible and I´m willing to be your slave whatever you´re planning on doing to me..."

"That´s it. You´ll be my slave and you´ll have to satisfy me..., " she countered hoarsely. "I want you to put your arms above your head. Now, please close your eyes and claw your fingers into the sheets." He did exactly what she demanded. "Good boy! Don´t forget to breathe, okay?"

Julian nodded, trembling all over and biting his lips in excitement. Now the young woman was beginning to stroke tenderly over his body, from the navel up to the nipples, her eyes following every movement and his teetering erection in front of her sanctum. Even his dick was perfect, she thought for a second and tried to hide a satisfied smile. Maybe the coach had been successful in getting pregnant with Ally and satisfying his sexual fantasies but _she_ would be successful in possessing his heart...

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 10/17/2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Thanks for reading!

**Next:** Marti will be confronted with a really difficult job to do...


	20. Reasoning

Time for a new chapter!

Still took me too long, I know.

But I´m kind of busy in my mind, thinking of some convention next year and it feels like I´m not able to write down anything these days just because of looking forward to that event.

I´m trying without a beta reader now, so please forgive me some mistakes or wrong expressions. I´ll try my best ;-)

A big thank you goes to the latest reviewers on the last chapter! Love you all ^^

**A/N:** I really don´t like the fact that on this site there´s no review alert except the mail function, just for the record ^^ I mean, an own subitem for reviews but just for the ones you´ve written yourself? Hello? And in between integrated the alert for new chapters of the current stories you read? Erm... Also too much diagrams on hits and visitors, but less important information to find quickly. You even can´t download the reviews to your own stories. Sorry, better solutions on our German site. Since I can´t change anything, I´ll have to live with it. Just wanted to complain to feel better in some way ;-)

So, let´s start with the new chap – ENJOY!

(And close your eyes in case you find mistakes. Basic ones to notify, please! :P)

o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 19 ~**

_Reasoning..._

Morgan stood in the middle of the refectory and looked curiously at his so called girlfriend. Marti came in, sending him a sweet smile and they both started up to the one and only free table in the room. She gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek and he offered her the chair like a real gentleman.

"We´re good at pretending, don´t you think so?" she said grinning.

Morgan´s eyes were sparkling when he sat down across her. "I don´t have to pretend."

"Please..." Marti answered kind of helpless. "Stop being in love with me, okay?"

"If I knew how to do that, I´d become rich like Mr. Facebook, you know?" he smiled all over his face and got serious again right after showing little emotion. "Okay, what´s up, Honey?"

"First: We´re out in between the squad. Second: We have to do another break-in."

"Julian´s changing into a real villain, huh?"

"No, he isn´t. It´s private and the decision of the squad. Heather has got herself a calf of a dog and she threatened Julian with it´s presence. We think she´ll bring it to the competition, too. Just to torment me and my friends."

"I see... But what are we going to do? Break into her house and kill the doggie?"

"No, of course not! We should make the dog our friend. Giving him treats and make him reacting like a lamb in front of us."

Morgan started to laugh out loud. "Dreamer! If she got herself a big dog to watch her house, we would never be able to get out of the place without being eaten alive!"

"At least it´s worth a try. Are you with me? We´re doing it anyway."

"Means you´d go alone, right?" He lifted his eyebrow in disgust.

"Absolutely. She´s my personal enemy. I _have_ to beat her."

"Julian doesn´t know about your plans, does he?"

"Nope. And you won´t tell him anyway! Promise!"

Morgan shook his head. Sometimes he just would have liked to shake her in order to make her see how dangerous she acted. "Honey... You´re incredible! What breed is it?"

"Irish wolfhound. You know it?"

"No, but it doesn´t sound good anyway." A casual smile flew over his face.

"Let´s give it a try, please! We should beat her with her own weapons, right?"

"Right. But what the hell do _I_ have to do with that? It´s no official law case and even after helping you, you won´t pay me the slightest attention anyway. So why should I put myself into danger?"

Marti sighed. He was right. It wasn´t his concern at all. "Okay. I got it. But... Do you really want Heather to hurt me?"

"No! Definitely not."

"Then you have to help us. She will not rest until..."

"Until you have left Julian?" he smiled.

"That´s it. I know you would like that to happen, too," the young woman grinned all over.

"Hell, yeah! But... I´m sort of a good guy. And I admire Julian. You know what I mean," he smirked and gave it a second thought. "Okay. Let´s give it a try! But the first attempt of this frightening doggie to breakfast me and I´ll be gone!"

"Me too!" she laughed amusedly. "I googled the breed and actually it isn´t an aggressive one. Maybe Heather doesn´t know herself?"

"Gee, that really makes me feel better! By the way, what´s its name?"

"Rufus. We should do it in the early morning, when Heather´s already at the university."

"Good point. But... We´ll miss classes..." Morgan looked accusingly at her.

Marti smiled again. She knew his tendency to be a geek. "I know you can do that without any difficulties. You´re quite intelligent, right?"

"Don´t overdo, honey!"

"You have your connections to support you, I know that, believe me!" she winked convincingly. "Well, I have to go now. We´re practicing in about half an hour under the control of the mighty dragon. Wanna join me and watch her interact? Just for getting some picture of her evilness?"

Morgan nodded, kissed her again on the cheek and they left together. Everyone in the refectory would have thought they were a real couple and that was just what they intended. Heather´s eyes and ears might have been everywhere...

o o o o o o o o o o o

"I decided to put Marti on top of the pyramid. Alice, you have to stay down on earth in the first row for the next competition – it´s better to have a white girl above in the sky," Heather commanded mischievously.

Lewis snorted. Alice was about to answer in a quite inappropriate way but he succeeded in stopping her just in time.

"Coach, that sounds a bit discriminating for my taste! Are you sure you´re aware of what you´re saying?" Lewis remarked, looking accusingly at the dragon in front of them in the middle of the gym.

Heather´s eyes seemed to sparkle once more and not in apositive, life affirming way. "Are you accusing me of discrimination?"

The whole gym immediately got quiet and they even didn´t dare to breathe. Lewis had to show his balls a second time, so he decided to do that the best way he possibly was able to.

"Why is it better to have a white girl on top?" he asked, clenching his teeth.

"Just to make clear that we don´t dare to risk only the lives of black people. Exactly to _avoid_ discrimination," Heather countered with an evil smile on her face.

Marti´s legs were badly shaking and her heart was going nuts right at the moment. But she didn´t want to bring Heather up against her once more and so she tried to hold herself back. Lewis had no words for the explanation of the coach, so Alice decided to interfere. As their captain she had to do something to stop that ridiculous discussion. A short glance at Savannah made her think of probably doing the right thing.

"I´m the best flyer we currently have. Are you sure you want to risk Marti´s life that way? Just to avoid discrimination?"

Heather didn´t want to discuss her decision anymore. "You´re definitely replaceable, didn´t you know that?"

"Like all of us are!" Alice dared to answer and again the whole squad had difficulties to breathe. "Don´t you forget that, coach," she added with icy voice, staring intensely at the dragon.

For the moment, the squad had won the war. Heather resigned to answer and used her whistle to blow for a new try on the new choreography. Then she looked scheming at the team and went on with the practice as if nothing worse had happened at all.

"Let´s do that pyramid again, guys! Marti, you´re up for the first time! Fourth row! I don´t accept any kind of fear, got it?"

This time Savannah needed to give them a little break and for the first time in her life interrupted by pretending being sick. She suddenly held her belly and hobbled aside to one of the benches. With a loud groan, she sat down next to Morgan, who had been watching the whole scene with a certain disbelief. She also tried to shed some tears to make it look more real. Actually Marti followed her immediately, not knowing that she was just pretending. Heather stopped by, too, and asked for her pain with a certain anger in her voice instead of some worry.

"I don´t know, coach... It hurts that much, I can hardly breathe..." Savannah stammered, her face contorted with pain, still holding her hands over her belly. Secretly she was already dreaming of the Oscar for that convincing show.

Marti laid her arm around Savannah´s neck and whispered comforting. "Calm down, Sweetie... We´re going to see the nurse, okay? Are you able to walk?"

"I don´t think so..."

"Okay, Lewis will carry you," Marti suggested without looking neither at their coach nor at her so called boyfriend. "Since Morgan maybe isn´t strong enough for that...," she added. "Right?" she was asking the young man next to Savannah. He nodded.

Lewis came over when he heard his name. "Hey! Anything I can do to help?"

"We have to see the doctor. Looks serious, maybe it´s the appendix? Left or right, Savannah?"

"Right...," she groaned, still like being nominated for an Oscar. "Oh my Gosh! It hurts so bad!"

Lewis took her on his arms and they left the gym together with the whole squad while Heather was still thinking of this being just a cheap trick or a real emergency. Only Morgan dared to stay on the bench, looking directly at the dragon in front of him. He wanted to force her to explain herself.

"Anything to say, Hottie?" Heather asked angrily.

"Of course, I have!" Since he wasn´t her concern, he could say anything he wanted. "You´re acting quite borderline, you know? These guys are totally afraid of you and you´re using that for achieving your own goals. That´s beyond crazy for an university professor."

"You better immediately get your ass out of my reach or I´ll kick you right out of my gym!"

Morgan offered her a hand shake. "Enchanté, Professor Rathbone. Nice to have met you." He turned around, grinning evil, and left the gym his head held high. Now, he knew exactly what Marti was that afraid of.

Back at the Hellcats´ house the whole squad had to laugh out loud about the stressful looking coach a few minutes before. After all they made the point and that felt quite relaxing.

"Okay, guys, what´s our plan?" Alice rudely disturbed their fun. "We can´t get sick all the time, ´cause we´ll have to compete, right?"

Marti sighed. "I´m going to fly on top of the pyramid, what else?"

"Are you sure you can do this?" Alice wanted to know without any anger or jealousy in her voice.

"Not at all. It´s higher than I´ve ever been lifted before. But she won´t let me quit, you know? I _have_ to try. Maybe I could simulate an accident if it´s too dangerous after all?"

Lewis shook his head. "No way! We won´t play with fire! I don´t lift you up on top of the pyramid when it´s that high! End of discussion!"

Marti told them Julian and her wanted to talk to Red Raymond as soon as possible. Maybe he would be able stop that silly and dangerous experiment. Even for Alice it would have been too dangerous flying that high in fourth row. He or maybe the athletic director could stop Heather by simply forbidding those reckless performances. It was worth a try.

o o o o o o o o o o o

"How has it been going at the gym?" Julian wanted to know when Marti finally entered his kitchen in the evening.

"Awful! She´s a devil on high heels! How could you ever live with her?" she answered pissed off, searching for the plates to set the table. Julian had already cooked and she knew well he obviously had to deal with some kind of anger.

"She changed after the accident, that´s all I can say. But she had been manipulative her whole life through, I think. I just didn´t recognize it. My fault. Love makes you blind, the rose-colored glasses, you know?" he smiled convincing, bringing the meal at the table himself.

"Don´t you think that I could be a devil, too? I mean, after a few months you maybe take off the rose-colored glasses once more?"

"Look again! I don´t wear them this time, Porsche."

They sat down across the table, smiling happily at each other.

"Good answer. So, what did bother you today?" Marti directly got to the point.

Julian looked at her in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Every time you cook that extensive you have to deal with some kind of demons or maybe stressful clients. So, start confessing to me!"

He didn´t want to tell her the whole truth, so he just mentioned Rex and Travis arguing again because of her mother. "They are like kindergarten kids, you know?"

"What did Wanda do? Running furiously away again?" Marti smiled all over. It wasn´t funny at all but she couldn´t help laughing though.

Julian poured some wine into her glass. "She came over to me and kissed me with ostentation. On my lips, by the way," he smirked amusedly. Wanda had been very funny and sweet to him, he couldn´t be angry with her at all.

For a moment Marti was kind of speechless. "Erm... She did _what_?"

"Holy, yeah! She´s not that bad, you know?"

"You´re kidding, right?" she was asking more timidly now. "_Right_?"

"Well...," he paused. "Erm... No further comment on that."

Marti stood up and threw her silverware back on the plate. "You dirty dog!"

Before she could leave the table he stopped her with one single word. "Stay..."

"You kissed my mother! You freak!" She sat back down, looking angrily right into his face.

"That´s not right. _She_ kissed _me_. But it wasn´t awful at all, that´s all I said. She´s a nice woman, isn´t she?"

Marti snorted. "By the way, did it work?" the young woman wanted to know instead, changing topic as a precaution. She´d never been so very jealous before...

"It did, definitely! Both, Travis _and_ Rex, stared at us in jealousy and real horror. Wanda escorted me out of her house and finally at the door excused herself for the sudden kiss. I forgave her as usual. It was kind of funny, too." Julian laughed quietly in memory of that remarkable scene.

"Ha! You fell into your own trap, Jules!" Her fingers grabbed the silverware again in order to continue eating.

He sighed sadly. "Not that pet name, please! I told you!"

"Oh, I´m _soooo_ sorry, Professor!" she smiled, poking her tongue out at him. "But after all I got you! You _had _to cook. Means you were really upset about something. So, either you didn´t enjoy Wanda kissing you _or... _you had another reason for being angry!" Marti explained victoriously.

"God, I can´t wait to see you in the court room!" he sighed. "Okay... You´re right. I had some creepy scene with the dragon. Don´t ask any further, okay?"

"Why not?"

"I don´t want to think about her anymore. It was disgusting."

"Rufus didn´t hurt you, did he?"

"No, the calf was adorable. It was a verbal fight as usual."

"So, what the heck did she say to you?"

"Please..."

"Tell me! It´s about me, I know! You _have_ to!"

Julian finally stopped eating. He was very insecure but he wanted to be honest at least. "She told me about your new choreography."

"Oh... And?"

"And... She said you perhaps will break your neck and... that she´d enjoy watching you fall..."

Marti got pale all over. That was definitely a real threat and she began to tremble like hell. After a moment she tried to answer him as calm as possible. "She´s nuts. We have to stop her. Tomorrow we´re going to talk to Red, okay?"

"Just what I wanted to suggest. Now, let´s forget about her! Actually, I wanted to enjoy the evening, okay?"

Hard to do after those awful confessions, Marti thought by herself. "Mhm... A few words about you not really have been enjoying kissing my mother would make that definitely a lot easier..."

Julian smirked. "I _love_ you being jealous, Porsche."

"Dirty dog, again!"

"Let´s say it like that: Your kiss is sweeter, more passionate and a lot better than hers. You´re okay with that?"

Marti stood up, went around the table and sat down on his lap, putting her arms tenderly around his neck. "Are you sure?"

"Maybe you should refresh my memory?" he said hoarsely.

Her face coming nearer and nearer, she looked into his eyes, seeing only love and trust. "Old man, do I really have to remind you?" she whispered in his ear, touching him softly with her lips.

Who could resist such sweet seduction? Julian turned his head around and when his mouth met hers, it was like thunder and lightning again. Distinctively her taste and smell, which were able to arouse him again and again. A decent shiver run through his body from the toes to the roots of his hair. He even was about to forget to breathe and stopped their kiss, sighing heavily.

"Convinced?" he whispered close to her lips.

"Not at all..." Marti closed his mouth with her own again and sighed enjoying. Her fingers ran hectically through his hair, then touching his cheek and neck so tenderly and pretty careful, as if he could break into pieces by being more passionate. "You have no idea what uproar you´re causing inside me...," she whispered seductively, taking away his shirt at the neck and kissing him lovingly on the naked skin above the collarbone.

Julian tried to stand up together with her, carrying her on his hips upstairs to their bedroom by deepening their kiss once more. He was trembling all over, not knowing what she was doing to him every time she gets horny like hell. Never in his entire life he had had such feelings for someone to sleep with. With Marti it has never been only sex to him but something spiritual or even sacred.

They made love until deep into the night and when they finally cuddled up for sleeping, Julian had a sudden wish to tell her his most secret thoughts. She snuggled up to him, breathing calm and contentedly, feeling secure in his arms.

"Porsche?"

"Hm?" She didn´t even look up, just went on stroking his body with her forefinger by drawing circles on his chest.

"I hope you know what you mean to me..."

Marti had to hold her breath for a moment, then she tried to answer on his sweet and honest statement without looking up to him. "You´re pathetic..."

"I am?"

She lifted her head and smiled with watered eyes. "Just kidding... I didn´t know what else to say..."

"Something quite similar for example? Something touching?" He needed to hear it so badly.

"There are no words to describe my feelings for you. I guess I showed you a few minutes ago?"

"You did, yes. I just wanted to hear it from your lips." Julian looked right into her eyes, searching for some verbal approval. "No idea?"

She smirked, fondling him again with her fingers on the chest. "I would try to get between Rufus and you if he tried to breakfast you. Is this the kind of confession you wanted to hear?"

"Not exactly, ´cause I wouldn´t let you do that." He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Okay... Another try... If I had to let you go just to save your life, I would do without any hesitation. How does that sound?"

"Sounds fantastic...," he answered, not letting her know that he had already played with that option himself. The plush cats on Ally´s grave had been nearly too much to deal with.

"I love you..."

"Love you, too, Porsche..." Another kiss sealed their lips in romance.

o o o o o o o o o o o

Vanessa and Red sat at _The Rat, _having dinner together. She felt a lot better these days and he had decided to have a romantic evening with her. The fact that she didn´t work as a cheer leading coach anymore had affected her more than he had expected and he wanted her to be happy again, even without having a job at the moment. Since Emily had started to dig in the athletic department´s history, he was afraid of getting fired every day, too. They really had done a few illegal things to free Travis.

"Imagine who I met today at the gynecologist!" Vanessa said, looking seriously right into his face.

"I have no idea."

"The coach."

"Professor Rathbone?" he looked up kind of surprised.

"Exactly. She came out, grinning all over. Thank God she didn´t recognize me, but it was kind of weird to met her there."

"Well, she´s a woman, isn´t she?" Red smiled at his girlfriend.

"There was something different, I can´t exactly point it out, but it seemed really weird to me the way she smiled, looking on that paper in her hand."

"Don´t think about her anymore, okay? Let´s enjoy the meal and the music. We deserve some rest, don´t you think so?"

"You´re right, honey. How was your day?"

Red sighed. Unfortunately he had had to go through some uncomfortable discussion. "Erm... a little crappy."

"How is that?" she wanted to know and laid her hand upon his on the table. "Trouble with the football team?"

"Not at all. Marti and Julian came to ask me a favor. I couldn´t help them."

"Sounds interesting. Tell me more about it!"

"Seems Heather wants to risk some lives for the next performance of the squad and I can´t do anything against it since Dean Laverne is friends with Emily and wants to kick me out every second."

"Risk their lives? In detail, please!"

"Marti is expected to fly high up on top. Exactly in the fourth row. It´s way too dangerous but I´m definitely not able to stop the coach."

Vanessa held her breath for a few seconds. "Fourth row? Is that right, you said fourth row?"

Red nodded, sighing once more. "She´s crazy. Julian told me she´d like Marti to fall down and get hurt or maybe even more. We have to do something. This woman is dangerous."

"Reminds me of Emily...," Vanessa murmured. "You´re right, she´s taking a high risk for achieving her own goals. So... How about the press? If we´d make it public, maybe Dean Laverne will HAVE to forbid her crazy ideas?"

"Good idea, honey," he smiled all over. "Julian certainly will help us with his contacts, I´m going to phone him right after dinner."

"Perhaps she´ll have to quit therefore and they need me again to do the job?"

"You´re pregnant, you can´t do the job these days."

"Come on, I still would have done it!"

"We´ll see... Don´t overdo."

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 11/08/2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Glad you read til the end ;-)

Thanks for your patience, I´m going to post the next chap as soon as possible ^^

Since I don´t have to wait for my beta reader anymore, this won´t be a problem.

Looking forward to your reviews, in case you´re planning on doing!


	21. Numbness

Thanks for the last reviews ^^

Time is money – let´s start at once!

Hope you still enjoy the story, even though it hadn´t been read by my beta reader ;-)

There are only about three more chaps left til the end – so, be prepared!

o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 20 ~**

_Numbness_

When Marti and Morgan came to Heathers house, they looked curiously in her garden. The next minute a big gray something came running towards them behind the fence and they couldn´t even move anymore. Marti´s heart nearly refused to work and Morgan´s eyes were about to fall out of his head. Rufus was really terrifying and he kept barking like hell.

"Just move slowly, okay?" Morgan demanded of Marti, searching with trembling hands for the treats in his pocket.

Even if there was a fence between them, the dog would have had no difficulties to jump over it. And they both knew. Marti tried to call him by his name...

"Hey, Rufus... You´re a really cute doggie, aren´t you?" It sounded ridiculous.

In fact, the dog stopped barking and sat down, looking interested at the two of them. Morgan finally found the treats in his pocket and so, they made the first attempt while still shivering. Marti took one piece of the wiener in her palm and showed it to the dog. She didn´t want to get to near to it, but Rufus immediately began to snuffle. He even whined and came as near as possible to the pickets, looking for the good smell in her hand. Morgan whispered to offer it to him and she forced herself to try to do it. Rufus picked up the wiener out of her palm and then sat down once more to attend the next one, whining again and looking really adorable with his dark sparkling eyes and the scrubby gray coat. The terrifying aspect was gone somehow.

"Good dog, Rufus...," Marti spoke silently to him and got herself another piece out of Morgan´s plastic bag full of pieces of wiener. "Look what we´ve got for you! Wanna have? Lie down!" The dog did what they wanted him to do and Marti gave him the reward through the pickets.

"A lamb in the body of a wolf..." Morgan smiled amusedly. "This dog wouldn´t hurt anyone, he just defended his area like everyone else would do."

"Think you´re right. Let´s give him the rest and try to stroke him, okay?"

Morgan nodded and they got pretty fast friends with Rufus, the calf. At the end they were able to stroke over his head, let him snuffle their hands and lick over their palms. Mission done. Rufus won´t be a real danger anymore for the squad or for Marti herself.

She was more than just happy about the successful attempt. "Let´s go back to class! It´s late."

"Have you seen the baby carriage over there in front of the entrance?" Morgan asked, looking interested at the house.

Marti turned around again and couldn´t even believe what she saw. "She´s so sick, I just don´t get it."

"What if she´s pregnant? I mean, why not?"

For a short moment Marti hesitated and thought about this option. It made no sense at all... "We´re getting a bit paranoid, too, don´t you think so?"

"Okay, whose is it?"

"Her sister´s, friend´s, whoever´s."

"Hopefully. Wouldn´t that be good for you and the squad?" Morgan put his arm around her neck and they went away, thinking of the baby carriage all by themselves.

"Good point. But I don´t think that it would be as easy to get rid of her."

Back at Lancer university Morgan began to talk to her again, waiting for her to get the books out of the locker. He still reported about the baby carriage, assuming Heather maybe could have gone totally crazy at all. A chatterbox would have been nothing compared to him.

In the meantime Marti stood in front of her open locker and stared inside. The first she had recognized was this plush cat she hadn´t seen before. "What the hell...?" She took it out and Morgan suddenly interrupted his investigative speech.

"What the fuck?" he shouted in disgust, taking the plush cat rudely out of Marti´s hands.

It had a knife stuck in the middle of its chest. Like the real one in front of their door a few months ago. _Hell to the cat _waswritten on a paper under the knife, too.

"She did it again!" Marti whispered accusingly, totally out of her mind and finally in real despair.

"Absolutely nuts. You have to report her to the dean. Now!"

"There will be no fingerprints at all, like then. She´ll have to confess like before, I´m afraid." Her glance wandered back into the locker to get her history book when suddenly her hands got hold of another paper. She looked at it with obvious fear in her eyes. Morgan wanted to watch it, too, and she showed him with trembling fingers.

"What´s that?" he asked a bit confused about the meaning.

"Looks like an ultrasound picture of an unborn baby. Now we know what the baby carriage is for."

He turned the picture around and showed her some notes on the back. "Look at this! She wrote a notice for you."

"_This is Julian´s little boy. You´re out!_" Marti read loud, nearly bursting into tears right there in the hallway in front of everybody.

Morgan turned pale all over. "Oh my God... Did he really...? Did you know?"

Marti wasn´t able to answer at all. She couldn´t even see anything through the tears. So, Morgan embraced her and tried to calm her down a bit. "Shhhh... That´s what she intended, you know? To make you feel bad."

"How did she get into my locker?" she stammered quietly.

"She´s a professor. Obviously she has her ways."

"Dammit!" Another sob came out of her throat.

Morgan stroked her back, looking at the picture again. There was Heather´s name on it, her birth date, the current date of the medical examination and a few other things he didn´t understand. "Maybe you know what _that_ means?" he said and showed her the picture again, pointing on some special dates. "Any idea?"

"Perhaps the weeks of the pregnancy? I don´t know..." It could have been true – an eight week old embryo. How could Julian do that to her? He had sworn he didn´t even kiss her and now evidence was showing up that really cruel way.

"You should talk to him soon. This plush cat is a final warning. I thought you told me Julian had claimed action for injunction? If that´s right, she has to live with the consequences now, right?"

Marti still cried bitterly in his arms and he felt unfortunately good holding her that close. "He did. Obviously it didn´t work," she stammered into his dark curly hair. "We can´t prove it´s been her to put it into my locker."

"Let´s face the truth: This woman is dangerous and someone has to stop her. We´re talking to Julian right now. Come on!"

"No! No, no, no... I can´t..."

"Marti? Look into my eyes, please!" he demanded and she lifted her head from his shoulder. "Come on! What´s your problem?"

She lowered her eyelids kind of being ashamed. "I feel not strong enough for his answer..."

"Bullshit!"

"It´s true."

"He may be a scary lawyer but he won´t cheat on you. Never ever. Unfortunately."

She tried to laugh anyway. "You wish! No, to be honest: Heather tried to get him into her bed not only once and maybe he couldn´t resist anymore because of her blackmailing him? He´s just a human being after all, you know?"

"But one of the best persons I´ve ever known. An introvert Mahatma. And when he looks at you, you can see real emotion in his face. He loves you, Marti. He wouldn´t do that to you, even less with professor Rathbone."

"Ever the romantic... Morgan, you know what? If I hadn´t Julian, I´d choose you for being my boyfriend."

"Seriously?" the young man asked, blushing all over.

"You bet!"

"What about Dan?"

"Dan is off the market."

"I feel flattered...," he smiled. "So, come on, let´s go! We have to talk to your lover."

"No. I have to join class and so do you. End of discussion." Marti closed the locker after having put the plush cat and the picture back into it. "Don´t worry about me, okay? And DON´T you DARE to tell him about it yourself! Got it!"

Morgan nodded, sighing. "Why do I always listen to you, huh? I must be kind of addicted...," he murmured to himself but she could hear it very well.

They went to their classes and Marti had to concentrate on her studies again, even if that seemed nearly impossible. She thought about the pregnancy all the time. It hurt damned much. She didn´t want to tell or ask him about that, it would have meant she didn´t trust him in the end. And that felt pretty awkward. Heather must have lied. She MUST.

o o o o o o o o o o

Later on at the Hellcats´ house, she talked to Savannah about her speculation. She showed her the ultrasound picture and her true friend nodded wisely.

"It looks pretty real, doesn´it? Charlotte´s pics just looked the same."

"However, I worried about it. Maybe it´s not Julian´s child?"

"Might be possible. She´d be crazy enough to blame him to win him back this way."

"He won´t return to her because of a baby." Marti sighed heavily. "But I think he would be really happy to have a child again..."

Savannah embraced her intimately. "Honey, don´t think of that option. He´s truly upright as far as I got to know him. And of course, he´s a lawyer. Never forget that, okay? He knows what´s right. Morally and legally. "

"Maybe that´s the point, I mean _morally_ and _legally_? He´s a lawyer in the end, right? Dammit! Please don´t tell anybody about the plush cat, okay? I´m going to show it to Julian tomorrow."

"I swear. You better sleep now. It´s been a long day," Savannah remarked with a warm smile on her face.

"Absolutely. Listen! I´m sorry I forgot about your dad. How´s the process going?"

"Not very well, I guess. Since Julian refused to defend him furthermore, he has to deal with some really incompetent duty solicitor. Maybe he will go to jail for a long time..."

"I´m so sorry, Savannah... I tried to convince Julian, but he didn´t want to do it again. And to be honest: I understand his reasons."

"So do I. I lost most of the respect I had for my dad when he tried to flee the country." She had to hold back her tears. "It´s been so embarrassing for my mum, you know? Our church had been very kind, even all the members but to be honest, I think they talk behind our back, though. To take bribes is a really bad crime, " she sniffed.

"Must be hard to fall that far after have flown on top, huh? Well, I´m going to feel the same way soon in case the dragon can´t be stopped, right?" At least Marti tried to smile.

"Don´t you think of the worst case! It´ll bring misfortune..."

Marti sighed. "I just tried to have a sense of humor about it."

"You´re unbelievable."

"Thanks a lot. By the way, I´ll have difficulties to sleep well tonight because of the plush cat with the sticking knife into its chest, you know? What am I going to tell Julian tomorrow? He´ll totally freak out about this offensive threat."

"We have to tell the squad, too. This is no joke anymore. She must be stopped right now."

"Just don´t tell anyone about the ultrasound, okay? It´s too private and I don´t want her pregnancy to get public because of me," Marti answered quietly.

"I promise."

o o o o o o o o o o o

When Morgan left Julian´s house, the law professor still sat on his couch and tried to relax. What his former student had told him a few minutes ago had been that disgusting and nearly unbelievable, he hardly was able to form a serious thought in his brain. The worst case had come true and he had to decide what to do now, how to go on with his life and their romantic relationship.

The whole night he couldn´t sleep a single minute thinking about what would be the best thing to decide. Even Heather´s first attempt of scaring them with the plush cats on Ally´s grave had frightened him like hell. And she actually did it again. Although he had tried to make her stay away from his girlfriend by forcing action for an injunction. His heart felt terrible, thinking of Marti. The shock she must have had the moment she had found Heather´s horrible _gift _inside her locker.And as usual she didn´t tell him immediately for keep being a tough young woman in his eyes. Bullshit.

The first thing he wanted to do the following morning after having a cup of strong black coffee was to call his girlfriend to make sure that she was okay. But he had come to a hurtful decision over night which he wanted her to know as soon as possible. Only there was a catch. It had to look real for Heather, he thought like a clever lawyer. That meant to do what he decided without Marti´s knowledge. Cruel. Absolutely cruel. His ex-wife would have to live with the consequences, too. And he was not going to be a gentleman this time. To ruin his life had worked once, it´ll not work this time even it felt like it at last.

His fingers trembled enormously while he was picking up the phone to dial Marti´s number. This was definitely the worst thing he ever had to do. In fact, there was no other way to protect her from his former wife and her obvious craziness. Morgan had done the right thing to tell him Marti´s secret right after he heard about it. She won´t understand it but he appreciated Morgan´s decision to go it alone. He wondered why it took her so long to pick up the phone so, he looked at the display but he had dialed the right number. Julian just let his mind wander back to their romantic kisses and even more, when Marti suddenly answered the phone after all. She sounded a bit confused, he thought by himself.

"Don´t say anything, Marti, I have to talk to you first." He paused. His girlfriend didn´t try to answer immediately, so he went on with this difficult mission. "Okay, this is really terrible for me to do but we have to end our relationship right now. There´s no other way to go on, I´m afraid. Please don´t call me or try to knock on my door once more. I´ll bring your personal stuff to your mum´s house. Bye Porsche, I´ll always love you." He hung up without waiting for her reaction, feeling miserable inside. His eyes seem to overflow and he sat down on the couch again, breathing and trying to keep calm.

The thought of her still staring at the phone and crying silent tears made him nearly lose control. He turned off his cell and looked at the ceiling for about ten minutes. Maybe she would try to come here even though he wanted her to not pay him a visit anymore. Would make sense to leave the house as soon as possible, because Marti always had done things she hadn´t been expected to. With shaking knees and a bleeding heart he finally left the house to catch Heather at home before her first class at the university. The thought of meeting Rufus again wasn´t very encouraging at all but he had to let off steam and she was the one and only person to benefit from. Clenching his teeth, he arrived at Heather´s and got out of the car furiously. She was just leaving, closing the door while Rufus was barking inside.

"We have to talk!" he ordered from behind with icy voice.

Heather turned around, smiling friendly. "Jules! Nice to meet you! Have you come to take me to the university?"

"I´d like to stay _here_, just where I am. You did it again, putting a plush cat in Miss Perkins locker? Threatening her to death? Despite this action for an injunction! _Am I right_?"

"So, she immediately ran to you to enjoy you comforting her? Poor baby... By the way... Did she tell you...?"

Julian started boiling inside, interrupting her with a simple gesture by his hand. "Don´t you dare to do that again," he told her quietly, gnashing his teeth. To hear Heather name her _poor baby_ was like laughing publicly at his girlfriend. "I won´t hesitate to get you arrested and you know what I´m capable of. This is my one and final warning." He turned around in a rage and went back to his car without even waiting for her answer. For the first time Heather had no words to tell him. She´s never seen him that furious before. His eyes were throwing out sparks and she was quite afraid of him.

When the car started, Julian felt like having a heart attack but he drove away anyway. On the road he couldn´t hold back the tears anymore and started crying silently for the first time in months. Watered eyes he arrived at Lancer and got out of his car, hoping not to meet Marti right now. He first went to the bathroom and looked into the mirror, being shocked because of seeing his rose colored eyes and cheeks.

"Oh my gosh, I´m looking like a freak...," he whispered to himself and freshened up. He still felt this terrible hurt deep inside, not willing to accept the choice he made half an hour ago on the phone. "What am I gonna do if she´s out there anywhere in the hallway? I can´t stand her accusing eyes...," he murmured and closed his own ones. Sighing heavily, he wished Marti could be safe in his arms again.

On the way to his first class he phoned one of his former detectives to help him. Whatever it may cost, he wanted Heather to be observed. Just to make sure Marti stays safe. It turned out to be no problem and he got a little more relaxed after all. Then he informed the responsible judge at court house about Heather´s knowing violation. Consequence was to impose a fine on Heather and an increase of the distance she had to stay away of Marti. It´s just that Heather wouldn´t care about that...

When he entered the lecture room his students were nice like always but he knew exactly they noticed him being a picture of misery. After the two classes he had to do Julian got back to his three strikes law office for the daily work. Maybe he could forget his sadness and worrying for a while by working on their case to get three strikes law overturned. To pack Marti´s stuff at home would have been way to complicated for his wounded soul and deep inside in some way he was still hoping for her early return, too.

When he got home late in the evening, he found a letter in his postbox. Heather´s hand writing, of course, not Marti´s. Again he had to hold back his tears like a teenager suffering from heartache just by remembering her not being here. Nervously he opened the envelope and read Heather´s short note.

_Would like to have dinner with you tonight. There is some wonderful news to talk about. Heather _

The wonderful news to talk about he knew damned well. Probably Marti had complained about the plush cat in her locker and now she felt being the winner because of him finally having ended their relationship. Damned beast! He decided to send her a short message via cell phone, saying he´s got no time for talking about wonderful news due to an important appointment with his client. After he had texted her he made a short call on his detective and he told him Heather hadn´t been acting criminal again. She even didn´t try to observe his house or any place else. Good to know. Julian switched off the cell and sighed heavily.

He sat down on the couch and stared at the ceiling once more. The house was a lonely place without Porsche being next to him. Instead of cooking away his misery he decided to have something to drink. After some glasses of wine and a lot of sad thoughts about his misery he fell on his bed, feeling a little drunk. Looking next to him and recognizing his lost again, he suffered from loneliness once more. Silent tears finally brought him to sleep deep in the night.

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 11/21/2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Hope to see you soon ^^


	22. Weebles wobble but they don t fall down

Time to go on with this story ;-)

I´m about to write the end these days and so I decided to post the next chapter right now.

Hope you´ll all like it ^^

Thanks to _pinkcrazyness_ and _Maigu_ for their encouraging comments!

You can google the _title of this chapter_, in case some of you don´t know where it comes from ´cause I don´t have a clue how old that slogan really is ;-)

Just found out you even can´t post a link here in the chapter... * shakes her head in disbelief *

**~ 21 ~**

_Weebles wobble but they don´t fall down..._

After Julian had hung up the phone, Marti had been staring at her cell for minutes. Watered eyes and shiver inclusive. Savannah had found her, returning of showering, in a kind of apathetic condition. She must have looked really damaged and Savannah ran towards Marti to help keeping herself safe on her feet.

"Honey! What happened to you?" she asked caring. "Are you okay? No, you´re not, obviously."

Marti couldn´t even answer her question but started crying instead right after losing her cell on the floor, while Savannah had been catching her in the last moment to avoid her hitting the ground.

"Oh my Gosh, you´re totally out of kilter... Breathe, Marti!" Savannah helped her back into the bed, covering her caring. "Tell me, what happened? I´ve never seen you being on the ropes like this before..."

In between the crying Marti tried to tell her what had happened on the phone a few minutes ago. It

took Savannah half of the day to get her quite steady again. The blond Hellcat had difficulties to deal with Julian´s decision, so, Savannah stood by her side all the time to take care of her in the most terrible moment of her entire life. They both missed classes just to keep the young woman kind of upright that early in the morning. They both were kind of insecure why Julian ended their romance that abruptly in a really inappropriate and immature way. Finally, after a little while, Marti had calmed down a bit and she was able to at least talk seriously about her current situation.

"She´s pregnant and it´s his baby. That´s why he left me. I didn´t even get the chance to tell him about the plush cat. He just got rid of me as if I were an annoying bug and hung up," she stammered, still drenched in tears.

"Sweetie, he must have been out of character. I mean, it´s Julian we´re talking about, right? He´s a decent guy, I think, and he wouldn´t do such thing to you or someone he´s in love with. Not without a reason."

Marti sniffed again. "He´ll always love me had been the last words he said to me. I just don´t get it! We could have worked it out, everything!" She sighed heavily, getting angry at a moment´s notice . "This sneaky bitch must have threatened him like hell! I´m going to blow her away, I swear! She´s going to pay for that, one way or another!" Slowly her strength was coming back and she was really ready to face the dragon eye to eye. "Let´s go practicing! I´m in the mood for some war games!"

"Don´t you try to bring her up against you, Marti! She´s evil!" Savannah had difficulties to stop her roommate from acting inconsiderately. "Think again, please!"

But the blond Hellcat had already been about to dress herself. "Shut up! I had been silent for too long. Now it´s pay day!" She dried her tears and combed her hair. "Let´s go! We have to do some awesome pyramids for the competition next weekend. Lewis will have to lift me high up in the fourth row, remember?"

"Have you gone crazy?"

"No, I haven´t. The dragon will have to hold her breath! I´m going to be fucking awesome and she won´t realize a glimpse of how I feel inside right now. Fuck the plush cat and fuck the baby! I´m going to be perfect!"

Savannah just followed her through the house and outside on the campus, shaking her head in disbelief and sorrow. She didn´t try to answer again for not getting to hear the next conqueror speech right into her face. Lewis won´t agree to throw her teammate that high above, she thought by herself and crossed her fingers anyway.

They arrived just in time. The whole squad was present, waiting for Heather to appear. Marti went towards her base and smiled the best she could. Lewis looked secretly at Savannah and got a definite NO from her eyes and lips. Whatever there was going on, he didn´t get it right at the moment and wanted to be nice to both of the girls. So he didn´t really refuse to make a try on the fourth row. Then suddenly Heather entered the room.

"You´re all right in time, that´s good! Let´s try the whole choreography again. We have to be perfect next weekend, you all know! The athletic director counts on you to establish Lancer´s reputation after the disaster a few weeks ago. Move your asses!" the dragon screamed as usual without saying hello first. "This is not about dancing, it´s about acrobatics!"

When she saw Marti smiling at her as if nothing bad had ever happened, she hesitated for a second. Then she smiled back at her and went on starting the music for the practice. The girls and boys got to their positions and began to perform. They all made a few mistakes from time to time but the squad did its best to satisfy their dragon´s vanity. Except the stunt to the fourth row the choreography was absolutely awesome but the most difficult part still was to do.

Marti felt awful inside and Lewis knew about it. She was trembling all along and therefore he didn´t want to lift her the way both, Heather and Marti, demanded. So, he finally did refuse to throw her in the air that high, blocking the squad by striking again.

"Complaining once more, Lewis?" Heather shouted angrily at him and his flyer, who were both arguing loudly between the still practicing teammates. Marti wanted him to do what he was expected to. Lewis still shook his head, unbending.

"Of course, coach! I´m not going to lift Marti up today! She seems quite nervous and can´t concentrate enough. It´ll be way to dangerous!"

"Is he right, Miss Perkins? Aren´t you concentrated enough?" Heather asked scheming, being glad the blonde girl didn´t feel well after all.

Marti would have liked to hit Lewis on his chest for the comment he gave to her enemy. "No, he´s definitely wrong, coach! I´m feeling really fine. It´s just that I´m so excited, you know? So, let´s go! We have to follow our most important rule: _Carpe diem_!" Her convincing smile was inscrutable. Inside she felt horrible but wanted Heather to believe she was just doing fine. Another Oscar suspending.

"Go! I wanna see you high upon the pyramid! Our competitors will be awestruck, I bet!"

Savannah was about to protest, too, but Marti made her keeping quiet with a single glance. So, the practice went on and Marti tried her best to fly high above her teammates without failing or even falling down. They did it without a single fault and Marti felt like having to take a deep breath after the first round. She was really proud of herself because at least Heather hadn´t won at all. And she even won´t in the future. Marti succeeded in breaking her will instead of Heather breaking her own. Whatever Julian had to go through because of her, she won´t support this scheming activities, not for a single moment!

"Okay, guys! You weren´t that bad this time, I have to admit. But we should try once more, just to be secure for the weekend. Go! I´m counting on you!" the dragon added with a sneer.

None of them wanted to do this more than once every practice, but it seemed they weren´t allowed to complain. In fact, Lewis started another try though.

"I´m not able to lift her that high twice a day, coach! Goes definitely over my capacity," he said dryly and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Lewis, you´re a wimpy-ass! Now go on and do what you´re expected to! No further discussion!" the dragon demanded with her usual frosty voice.

She dared to call him a wimpy-ass, he thought angrily by himself and looked understanding at his flyer. Marti nodded. As if she didn´t know how it feels to be insulted by her! The squad stayed silent indeed. They all were afraid of Heather´s threats in case of them complaining too obvious. Without any second try of protesting they just started the performance again, all of them hoping not to fail or even get hurt.

When they came to the really dangerous part again, Marti looked into the eyes of her base and nodded while thinking of the best method to murder their coach afterwards. Finally Lewis really did a good job and Marti landed on top without any problems again. For a single second they all stood still to show their success, as if there were an audience already. Then the performance had to go on immediately and suddenly one of the girls on whose shoulders Marti had to stand, accidentally lost her balance, so that the whole pyramid had difficulties to stand the situation and to not drop any flyer on top. It all happened slow motion in their sensation. Lewis screamed out loud the moment before they all fell down on the mattress but there had been no way back. Marti finally crashed down on the floor like a wet sack full of potatoes, lying silently in front of them. Her two female bases on top dropped down, too, but thank God they weren´t seriously hurt because their own bases had been able to pick them up to slow their fall. Even Lewis had tried to stop Marti´s crash but he didn´t really succeed.

Instead of Heather coming to take a look at the young hurt Hellcat for being sure that she´s okay anyway, she just swore out loud. "Hell to that lousy act of inattention! Aren´t you able to manage the most simple things? God dammit!" But her secret evil grin showed it loud and clear to the whole squad. She totally enjoyed what had happened. Shame on her!

Savannah, Alice and Lewis already knelt on the floor to help their friend, while the others were still trying to get back on their feet again but Marti had lost conscience in the meantime. Her lying there seriously injured on the cold ground left them all kind of paralyzed and confused about what would be the best thing to do right now. It was one of the shy girls who finally came up with the cell on her hand and forced them to dial the 911. Heather couldn´t stay passive any longer, so she tried to join the squad by rendering first aid. Everything happened so quickly, the guys didn´t remember anything after Marti had been taken away by the ambulance. Savannah sat with her and Lewis went to give Wanda the necessary information. Marti´s chances weren´t expected to be really good, she perhaps could end up in a wheel chair like the paramedics told them before leaving the gym...

o o o o o o o o o o

Wanda couldn´t believe what Lewis and Alice had told her, even if they had tried to do it really carefully. Her face looked like being frosted and she couldn´t even move her toes. Thank God, Travis took her outside the pub and called Rex for being with them at the hospital. Together they immediately went to see the doctor and Wanda was still not able to show any reaction but silent tears running down her cheeks.

"She´s got a shock," Travis remarked quietly, looking kind of helpless at her former husband, who was sitting on Wanda´s other side in front of the OR. Savannah sat there, too, praying silently like she´d always done in those difficult moments.

"Who wouldn´t?" Rex answered dryly. "Maybe my daughter´s marked for life... This beast has to be murdered herself!"

"The first time I agree with you without hesitating to help you do it...," Travis murmured, stroking tenderly over Wanda´s neck. "This coach is a horny bitch."

"Wanda? Are you listening?" Rex wanted to know carefully. She didn´t answer.

Travis sighed heavily. "She needs to see a doctor, too. I´m going to get some help for her. Stay here and DON´T move!" he said to Rex, angrily lifting his eyebrows.

Meanwhile, inside the OR the doctors tried to find out how bad the young girl had been injured. They made a lot of x-rays and kept on stabilizing her cardiovascular system with physiologic salt solution and whatever she might need to not drift away into a coma or even die. When she finally woke up, they were able to ask her for any pain, also to test her brain. Marti told them her head and neck hurt terribly. Just like they had diagnosed before. Besides, she broke one of her legs and the arm on the same side. Her hips were okay, still a wonder in the doctor´s eyes. But they really worried about her neck, which was terribly hurt and partially fractured. There was no way to avoid an operation to stabilize her spine and spare her the wheel chair. There even was a certain hurry to get that fixed.

One of the doctors came out of the OR and talked to Wanda and Rex, while Travis was still searching for medical help for his beloved host. When the door of the OR shut again, Wanda realized the whole tragic for the first time.

"My baby...," she cried out loudly, not stopping Rex, who dared to hold her tight to comfort her. "Where´s Travis?"

"He´ll come back soon, hon, don´t you worry about him. Just try to pray for Marti, okay? She´ll desperately need it."

Wanda couldn´t answer on his remark, since Travis came back at the same moment and sat down next to her again. "There will be a nurse to comfort you soon, just stay calm," he said quietly to the woman he´s been in love with for a while. "Everything will be okay, I promise."

While patiently waiting for the nurse and some news about Marti´s further medical care, they sat there in oppressive silence, staring at the door to the OR and praying for a wonder. When finally Alice and Lewis came around the corner to look for her friend, Savannah told them everything they knew by now. They whispered to each other for not making Wanda more nervous than she´d been already.

"We told Julian and Morgan," Lewis said, suddenly looking kind of surprised. "Did you know they broke up?"

Savannah nodded. "I did. Is he okay? Did he worry about her? What did he say?" All of a sudden Savannah got very excited about the fact to find out what Julian really felt for her true friend all alone there in the OR.

Alice smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Morgan or Julian, who do you mean?"

"Both of them but actually Julian´s more important for Marti."

"You should have seen him. He´s never looked more shocked, I swear. And damned sexy at the same moment."

"God, this is serious, Alice! Stop fooling around. Okay, Savannah, the first thing he said was about Heather. He wanted to burn her alive since hell doesn´t exist," Lewis answered smiling, too. "The second thing was to beg us to take care of Marti, ´cause he won´t be able to be at the hospital for several reasons."

"Good. Sounds really good. Marti will like that. He still cares for her. " Savannah nodded satisfied.

Alice sighed with sad eyes. "Obviously he does. For a second I worried about Julian to pass out himself. So, why did they broke up then? Smells like serious trouble in paradise, huh?"

"Alice!" Lewis shouted, attracting attention of Wanda and her two admirers again. He went on a bit more carefully and lowered his voice once more. "This man looked really exhausted, like having a big heartache to deal with, so stop teasing him or anyone else, okay?"

"Did he say anything about getting Heather arrested for what had happened to Marti?" Savannah wanted to know.

Lewis looked questioningly at Alice. "I think he´ll do the right thing. At least he looked like it, right Alice?"

"I really do hope she´ll gets suspended or even fired for forcing us to outdo ourselves," the captain whispered to her friends. "If anyone gets that done, then it´ll be Julian. Marti thinks of him as the Godfather of law, right?"

"Keep your fingers crossed, guys!" Savannah answered optimistically.

Wherever time flies, it did not in front of the OR while they were waiting for some news.

o o o o o o o o o o

Julian knocked on the dean´s door. He seemed to be already at home. His hands were shaking and he desperately thought of Marti and his missing presence there at the hospital. When dean Witherspoon finally opened the door, he looked a bit surprised about Julian paying him a visit at home.

"Professor Parish? Everything okay with you?"

"May I please come in and speak to you privately?"

"Of course. You look terrible..."

The dean led him into his living-room and offered him a drink. Then he wanted the obviously very excited man to tell him what had happened. Julian cleared his throat and began to report what the kids told him half an hour before. In some way he had difficulties to speak, appreciating the whiskey in his hand like never before.

"... That´s all, I know, Dean Witherspoon. Think, it´ll be better to suspend her and I´ll do my best to get her arrested," Julian ended his shocking report. "She must be stopped immediately."

"Did I get that right? You want me to believe she put some plush cats in Miss Perkins´ locker and on your daughter´s grave to scare the shit out of the two of you? And finally – I can´t even think of it – forced the Hellcats to overdo themselves in practicing? Well, you see me totally outraged. Unbelievable she did all those things..." The dean´s face showed obvious disappointment and fear.

"It sounds weird, I know that. But it´s the naked truth and I´m worrying about Marti´s life and her future at the university right now. I even don´t know what´s going on at the hospital... Believe me, I´m at the end of my tether after having ended our relationship without giving her a reason. I simply wanted her to be safe because of professor Rathbone´s weird behavior. And now she´s fighting death or whatever else, I even don´t want to think about what might be the consequences..." Julian had to pick up a handkerchief out of his jacket to dry the upcoming tears in his eyes. He felt ashamed but couldn´t help himself either.

"So bad? I´m going to do what I´m supposed to early tomorrow morning. Professor Rathbone won´t set a single foot in our university again, I swear. Even if it´s the last thing I´m going to order. So... Let´s face the truth: We have to substitute her, though. Any suggestions?"

"Ask Vanessa Hodge, Red Raymond´s girlfriend. She´s the coach the squad always wanted to keep and she really loves them."

"As far as I know, she´s pregnant. Maybe she doesn´t want to come back to work?"

"I don´t think so. Marti always told me she had been really sad and disappointed for having been fired."

"We´ll see. How is the rest of the team? Any other injuries?"

"Nothing serious. Lewis Flynn maybe saved Marti´s life by trying to stop her fall right in time. He´s a good guy and I know he would do everything for his flyer to be safe. And so did Vanessa all the time during her employment," Julian answered, thinking of himself not having been able to protect Marti sufficiently.

"I can feel your pain, Julian. Maybe you should go and look after Miss Perkins at the hospital?"

"Not as long as Heather is free. I don´t trust her at all. She doesn´t have to think I´m still worrying about Miss Perkins. That´s the best way to make her believe she has won at the end. I have to call her parents first, they probably will help me to get her hospitalized again. It´ll take some time to get it done, you know? Thank you so much for having an ear for my problems, Dean Witherspoon. I appreciated you talking to me privately."

"You´re welcome. And don´t worry, I´m going to suspend Professor Rathbone as soon as possible."

"Hopefully she´ll not freak out about that..." Julian answered doubting.

"Let´s hope so, by goodness! Good night."

"Good night. And thank you so much." Julian left the house, thinking about what had to be done next...

o o o o o o o o o o

When Morgan entered the hospital, he couldn´t even ask the nurses for Marti because of his inner excitement. It took a little while until he finally joined the little group in front of the OR to wait for the young girl coming out alive and healthy enough. The first thing he recognized was the missing law professor.

"How´s she?" he asked nervously, gasping for breath because of the speedy run through half of the clinic.

Savannah showed him one of the free seats and shrugged her shoulders. "We still don´t know."

"What does that mean, you still don´t know? They must have said something! Will she be okay?" He sounded more than worried and had to calm down himself first. When his eyes met Wanda´s he could see the pain in her face. "Please, tell me she´s going to be fine...," he whispered helplessly to Marti´s mother.

"I wish I knew...," Wanda whispered sadly.

"So, where´s Julian?" Morgan looked questioningly at everyone else around.

Alice and Lewis secretly nodded at each other and the captain finally tried to answer his question. "We told him. He didn´t want to come with us."

"What the f...?" Morgan swore. "Is this the way to show his affection? Sneaky bastard!"

Since he seemed to need some kind of explanation, Savannah tried to tell him what was the current status of Marti´s relationship. "They split up. We thought he left her because of the coach."

Morgan sat there eyes wide open. He had to shut his mouth before speaking. "The pregnancy! So he really fucked Heather again?" His voice sounded terribly angry. He was more than upset about this news. "Selfish old prick!"

"Morgan!" Wanda railed at him, looking a bit surprised about his bad language. "He´s a good guy. Who told you he had knocked up his ex-wife again?"

"Marti showed me the ultrasound picture of Heather´s baby to be expected. And _he_ had nothing better to do than to immediately end their relationship? I don´t get it!"

"That´s what you´ve always wanted, dude! So why are you that horrified?" Savannah dared to ask him with low voice.

"I´m just... I feel sorry for her, you know? She really loves that guy. And he treated her like a piece of meat..."

Wanda wanted to say something to the young man, but just in time the OR finally opened and they came out with Marti lying still asleep on the bed. She looked very pale and like a little girl again. Wanda held her hand and walked by her side, when they wheeled her into the intensive care area. The whole group followed them to hear about the current status of her condition. Finally the doctors explained some important things to Wanda and Rex.

"She will be okay. We tried to fix her neck and everything else. As you can see, a leg and an arm were broken. Hopefully she will fully recover soon. Fact is, she had a bunch of luck, you have to be very grateful to the one who tried to stop her fall," one of the doctors told them and Wanda burst into tears right away. "Your daughter was only a heartbeat away from the wheel chair and she will have to stop cheer leading for at least a whole year."

"What about her scholarship" Savannah added, squeaking like a horrified animal. "And the squad? We have to do nationals this weekend..."

There was no way out, everybody knew well. The accident would cause a lot more consequences than expected. Wanda asked for the time her daughter will come out from anesthesia and since that would happen only a few hours later, all of her friends decided to leave the hospital. Wanda and Rex stayed, of course. Travis didn´t want to leave them, but Wanda insisted on him getting back to _The Rat_ for work. Morgan went home together with Savannah, Alice and Lewis. He still wanted to call Julian to scare the shit out of him by telling him Marti had died.

"Since when are you so evil?" Alice asked grinning. "Usually that´s my part, honey!"

"How could he do this to her? I still don´t get it! How could he do that to the most wonderful woman in the world? Or at least at Lancer."

Alice laughed amusedly and Savannah just sighed, preparing to answer. "Let´s pray for Marti, guys. We have to reschedule our program, I think. And what about the coach? We have to report her to the dean. Who will be our coach for the next year?"

"Ladies, everything´s going to be alright," Lewis remarked quietly. "We will survive, huh?"

Morgan looked stunning at the big black boy walking next to him. "What about her scholarship? She is way to good to lose it just for a flimsy act of violence! She definitely would be broken, I can tell!"

Since none of them knew what to say to that, they just walked on without talking anymore...

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 12/02/2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Any suggestion what might happen next? ;-)


	23. Finding out about

Are you ready for a new chap?

Well, here it is!

Thank you for the last comments, I felt very happy about them!

Would be nice to get more of those, though ^^

Enjoy!

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 22 ~**

_Finding out about..._

While Vanessa was thinking about returning to the squad although she was pregnant, Julian canceled an important appointment at court because of personal issues and drove over to see Heather´s parents. Dean Witherspoon had done his job, Heather had gotten suspended and the first thing she had done had been calling him around seven in the morning. He´d refused to answer the call and had turned off his cell phone. There was no way to talk to her without getting rude.

His mother-in-law had tears in her eyes when she opened the door at lunch time. Julian told them what had happened lately and that he still didn´t know anything about Marti´s current condition. Together with Heather´s parents he tried to work out a plan to get her hospitalized again by free will. It took them three hours to come to a realistic decision for a plan. Then Julian left with some hope in his heart again. When he returned at home in the afternoon, Morgan sat in front of his door, waiting for him to do what needed to be done.

"Another bad news, Potter?" Julian said tiredly and opened the door. "Come in, please!"

Morgan stepped in, sat on the couch in front of the chimney, sighing. "Wanna know how she´s doing?"

Julian sat down next to him, opening two bottles of beer for both of them to relax a bit after his exhausting trip to his former parents-in-law. "Of course, I do!"

"Although you ended your relationship?" Morgan asked biting, cheering to Julian´s bottle. "I´d better drink a magic potion, professor _Dumbledore_..."

"Thanks for the compliment, Potter. I´m sorry for not telling you, although it isn´t your concern at all. It´s not the way it probably looks like. Erm... Forget it! So, how´s she doing?" Julian´s voice nearly seemed to break at the end.

"She´ll make it. Due to Lewis´ attempt to catch her right in time. But right now she´s still sleeping after a difficult operation of the spine a few hours ago."

"Thank God..." Julian sighed heavily and took a sip of his beer again. "I wouldn´t have been able to forgive myself, if she had been seriously injured or even had died."

"I still don´t get it, _Dumbledore_! Why the heck did you go back to this beast? Just because of the unborn baby?"

"The unborn baby? What baby?" Julian was nearly freaking out now. "By the way, I didn´t go back to her. I had to protect Marti, that´s all. Spit it out, Potter! NOW!"

"_What baby_? You dare to ask? Heather´s and yours, of course! Which the fuck else?" Morgan asked stunning and obviously a bit too excited.

Julian suddenly had dropped the bottle on his lap, when hearing his furious comment. "Shit!" he swore, running to the bathroom for getting himself a towel to dry his clothes. "You really want to make me believe that Heather is _pregnant_?", he screamed out of the bathroom back to the living-room. When he came back shortly after, he sat down again, looking nervously at his former student, tenderly called Harry Potter by him. "_Do you_?" he screamed once more, since the magic student still didn´t make any try to answer his question.

"I thought you knew about the pregnancy...", Morgan murmured, blushing all over.

"Bullshit! So, how do _you_ know about it?" Julian had heard a lot of things out of Heather´s mouth but nothing about a baby, yet. Countless thoughts somersaulted wildly in his mind. How  
can anyone in this room act so normal when his entire life is falling apart?

"Think, I have to start from the beginning, right?" the young man suggested quietly.

Julian nodded, playing nervously with his fingers. "I´m waiting...!" He felt awful inside, his heart was pounding like a drum. The thought of Heather having a baby child again really made him go crazy.

"Okay... Did Marti tell you about the plush cat in her locker?"

"_You_ did, remember? Of course, not!" He growled angrily.

"Okay, thought she might have told you in the meantime. Erm... Back to topic. There had been an ultrasound picture, too."

"Together with the plush cat?"

"Exactly."

"Dammit! Why didn´t you mention it before?" the professor asked disappointed, putting his hands over his face for not showing his emotions overwhelming him. "And why didn´t Marti tell me herself?" She must have lost all of her faith in him...

"I don´t know. Thought she did. I´m really sorry for you, Julian... She had been very upset and she didn´t want Heather to believe in having finally won their fight. I considered this news being way too personal to be told from kind of a stranger like I am for you, right?"

"Bullshit! It´s about Heather, the craziness in person, for heaven´s sake! You should have told me everything!"

"I promised not to. Telling you about the plush cat´s already been a broken vow. Marti would have liked to roast me, if she had known..." Morgan still had difficulties to deal with his guilt. "I´m not considered a tattletale, you know?"

Julian sighed, feeling awfully tired. "So, let me sum up: Heather made Marti believe she´d have _my_ bun in the oven? Holy...! It´s getting even worse, I hardly know how to deal with it... Boy, I feel so sorry for Marti. If I´d only known!" He immediately felt to have to react on this personal affront, which meant Heather had to be stopped once more. "I´m going to talk to that crazy freak right now! No more time to waste." He got up from the couch and wanted Morgan to leave. "Thanks for finally telling me the truth. Guess, I have to do now what a man has to do."

The young student first thought of going to the pub for a glass of beer after his visit and embarrassing confession but then suddenly changed his mind. "I´m coming with you," he said decisively.

"No, you´re not."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you´re not."

"Of course, I am!"

"This is not your concern, Potter! So stay the fuck out of it!"

"It _is_ my concern, _Mr. Wisenheimer_! Marti is my friend and I have to help her. Besides – you better be not alone when meeting that monster again."

Julian remained kind of thunderstruck. For the first few seconds he had no words at all, looking at Morgan like a ghost. Then he finally gathered himself by running his fingers through his hair while clearing his throat to finally start answering back. "How could I ever forget this calf called RUFUS?" he shouted desperately.

"I meant Heather," Morgan told him, grinning all over. "Rufus is a lamb, believe me."

Something in the student´s eyes made Julian believe that there had been going on things of which he didn´t know. "Okay, Potter. SPIT IT OUT NOW! AGAIN!"

Morgan had no choice at all. "Erm... Marti and I made friends with him. The calf called Rufus."

"When? How? Why? On whose advice?" Julian screamed, still being totally enraged.

"The squad thought of beating the coach with her own weapons. It worked. The doggie´s really sweet and no danger at all. Actually he licked over my face a few times."

Julian had always known Marti owned a mind of her own. But right now, he was hating this nature to death. "After all this shit going on and when we´re over Heather or whatever else there will happen other and above, I swear I´m going to kill the two of you!"

"No, you´re not."

"Yes, I am!"

"Come on, Julian! It had been a really good move, okay? Let´s go! We better don´t waste a minute more, right?"

Julian growled. "I hate being beaten by a greenhorn! By the way – I know that she would have tried on her own. So, I have to thank you for being with her to domesticate the calf," he said, clenching his teeth in despair.

"I see, we understand each other," Morgan grinned victoriously. "But if you intend to abandon her once more – and that´s assuming you´ll get together again – I´m definitely going to take advantage of this opportunity."

"Prick!"

"Thank you! Much better than being called an annoying nerd or even _Harry Potter_."

Julian opened the door to let him leave the house first, then locked up and turned around. "You´ll stay quiet, Potter. Not a single word to Heather, got it? I´m the only one talking to her."

"Absolutely," he grinned all over because of Julian returning to call him Potter, which sounded like an adorable childish rebellion to him.

They got in Julian´s car and he started the motor. The first mile, they both didn´t say a word. Then suddenly Julian asked what he desperately needed to know and had thought about all the time in silence. "How did she deal with our break-up?"

Since Morgan didn´t know, he had to shrug his shoulders, lifting his eyebrows unknowing. "I practically didn´t meet her since then."

"Shit! I really thought you could tell me."

"Obviously not, ´cause I don´t know or even have heard anything about her reaction on that. But short time later she fell off the pyramid, doesn´t that say everything?"

"Thanks for refreshing my bad conscience, dude! You´re lucky to be still alive!"

"Maybe it would help to just let it out?" Morgan suggested ballsy.

"Let it out? What the heck do I have to let out?" Julian got more and more upset.

Morgan took a deep breath before answering honestly. "Well... For example sentiments, emotions, your own feelings about your break-up? The accident?"

Once more, Julian had no words for his smart student. Fact was, the young man was absolutely right. He had felt awful and still did. There had been no one to talk to about his lone decision. No one to disburden his heart. To let go silent tears had been all he had been capable of. As a lawyer, he always had to hide his feelings because there was no possibility to let his clients know how he feels about their case for not disappointing them in case there was no chance to win at court. But this time he was dealing with private stuff. Perhaps it was time to let himself go by sharing some of his deepest thoughts...

"Listen, Potter... I take my hat off to you and your incredible intelligence. Point for you, obviously. All I can say is... And I´m telling you this in private, got it? Okay... It absolutely broke my heart to abandon her...," he murmured, fighting upcoming tears again. "The way I finally did it was even more despicable. She must have been in a real shock."

Morgan looked up to him for being that honest. "I guess, you´re right. Her try to do the fourth row must have been the consequence of your decision. Usually she´s a very prudential girl, as far as I know. Probably she wanted Heather to show that she´s not broken. Huh?"

"She could have had the balls to do that!" Julian said, smiling helplessly again. That had been the reason why he had fallen in love with her – her incredible balls. "She´s pretty unbelievable..."

"Absolutely," Morgan murmured.

"I know you´re in love with her."

"Who doesn´t?"

"Good point! No, seriously... I´m really sorry for you."

"Well, who wouldn´t?" Morgan smiled, not really being in a laughing mood.

Julian seriously looked at him. "You know, I´m glad that you´re friends with her. You saved her ass more than once and I´ll have to thank you for always having been there for her."

"You´re welcome."

The professor nodded satisfied. "We´re there. The monsters´ house. Plural, on purpose," Julian remarked, parking his car right in front of Heather´s home. "Any treats for the Rufus calf?"

"No need to, seriously. Rufus loves me and he will love you, too. Just speak kindly and quietly. That´s all."

"Let´s hope so, by goodness! One monster´s really enough!"

They both left the car and went towards the house...

o o o o o o o o o o o

Vanessa came into the gym, looking proudly at her former squad. The guys were talking about the competition this weekend when their new coach entered the scene. Everyone had a big smile on their faces, running towards the well-beloved woman with the easily recognizable little baby belly under her shirt.

"Everything okay here?" Vanessa wanted to know, smiling happily.

"Absolutely, since _you_ walked through this door, coach!" Alice answered enthusiastically, grinning all over in real excitement. "We missed you."

Vanessa was glad they all were alright. "I´m sorry for what has happened to you, guys. I should never have let them hire professor Rathbone for my job. Red could have helped me, we could have found a better solution if only we had tried harder."

Everyone applauded her. They were simply glad to get her back as head of the squad.

"Now that you´re back – what are we going to do for nationals? Marti´s out – how can we do without her?" Savannah´s concern was the future of the squad like it had always been. Alice becoming the captain had never affected her interest in cheering and they both worked together way better than expected.

"We´ll find a way, I promise," Vanessa answered confidently. "Now all that´s important is to take part of the competition, nothing else. Marti would have wanted this for us to at least make a try, right?" Vanessa smiled. "We have to do it for her. She tried to do her best for all of you and now we must show our respect for her."

None of them could have said better. So, they had a hard workout, did some special moves and ended up with a quite good new choreography without those silly dangerous lifts. Perhaps not really good enough to win, but they´ll all be safe and healthy instead. The common consensus had changed from _we have to beat the others no matter what _to _we have to try our best no matter what. _Vanessa was very proud of all of them. At the end of their workout they decided to bring flowers and some candy to the hospital, sponsored by each and everyone of them, including Vanessa. Savannah and the coach were the ones to pay their teammate Marti a visit afterwards. There were allowed only two visitors at the same time because the young patient still had to deal with several problems, first of all her psychological balance.

When Savannah opened the door to her sick room later on, Marti looked at them with a certain disappointment. Vanessa smiled to let her know they all care about her, showing also the bunch of flowers to her which they all had chosen together.

"Hey, Sweetie!" she said quietly, looking for a vase. "We´re so proud of you. How do you feel?"

Marti smiled back, trying to hide her real feelings. "I´m fine. Thanks. What about the competition?"

Vanessa put the flowers in the vase on the nightstand. "We´re doing it a bit less dangerous, don´t worry. It´ll be alright. The squad will be alright."

Watered eyes Marti nodded, avoiding to look directly into their eyes. "I´m not returning," she murmured totally discouraged. "It´s over. My life´s a total mess." In a certain sadness she turned away, covering her face with the blanket to hide the tears from the two women standing next to her bed.

Savannah sighed, feeling bad in some way, too. "Listen, we´re going to find a way, I promise."

"There is no way for me to pay the enrollment fee. No fucking way," Marti answered plaintively.

Before Savannah could say anything, Vanessa stopped her with a hidden gesture. "Marti?" She called her, hoping that she´ll turn around to look into her face when hearing some good news which even Savannah still didn´t know about. "I have to tell you something very important, you know? Listen... Lancer university decided not to cancel your scholarship because of having to leave the Hellcats, are you listening?"

For a moment it became totally quiet in the room, even Savannah didn´t say a word, just looking stunned at their coach. Marti sniffed under the cover, thinking about what she just had heard. Since there was no single tone around, the young woman pulled off the blanket, finally turning around to watch her friends laughing on her or something like that. She couldn´t help doubting her own hearing.

"Huh?" she whispered kind of insecure.

"It´s true, Marti. You won´t lose your scholarship."

The young woman still didn´t realize what this could mean for her future.

"Isn´t it fantastic, Marti?" Savannah tried to rouse her from apathy by touching gently her hand.

"Why is that?" she only asked, still not convinced of the unexpected luck she should suddenly have.

"They want to apologize for coach Rathbone forcing you to do those incredible stunt. Just take it for granted and don´t ask any further, okay?" Vanessa explained.

"Any further?" Marti was wondering. Maybe Julian had managed to keep her scholarship? A little glimmer of hope was just appearing on the horizon. "Okay guys, who did this and why?"

"The newspapers are full of your story and your mum told some of the interviewers about your problem. I think Lancer couldn´t get away without doing something noble for you."

"Oh... I see..." Again she had to fight tears because of the disappearing hope of Julian coming back to her.

"That´s pretty good, isn´t it?" Savannah remarked happily. "Your dad did a very good job, too. I wish mine could have done something like that for me. Just being there for me and standing up for my personal welfare."

"Rex never did before, it´s the first time for me, too. Well, thank you Vanessa, for telling the good news. I´m just a little pathetic, I know."

"You´re welcome. I´m going to leave you with Savannah now – you girls have much to talk about, I guess." The coach winked and waved good-bye before leaving the room with an encouraging smile on her face.

"So... How are you really?" Savannah asked immediately when Vanessa was gone.

"I´m happy to keep my scholarship, you´re right..."

"But?"

"But... For a snatch I thought maybe Julian could have something to do with it."

"Poor baby... He hasn´t come to see you, yet?"

"No, he obviously hasn´t. Maybe he even doesn´t know about the accident. We´re not together anymore and he has to look after his future child and its mum-to-be, too," Marti murmured, holding back the tears once more.

"Don´t worry. I´m sure, he knows about what has happened to you, ´cause Alice and Lewis told him immediately, as far as I know."

For a moment Marti just thought about her situation. "He knows?" she asked whispering.

"Yes."

"Savannah..."

"Tell me, honey!"

"I need to see him..."

"You can´t."

"Maybe you could talk to him? I have to tell him about the plush cat. Who knows what Heather is able to do to her own child?"

"Okay. Good point. I´m going to at least make a try."

"Thank you. I want to sleep now. Boy, I´m so tired all the time. And my neck still hurts. No, that´s not true. My whole body hurts. Even my soul does."

"Poor baby... Sleep well then and don´t you dare to worry about anything! I´ll talk to Julian, promise."

"Thanks. Bye, Savannah. Oh, wait a minute! Have you met Morgan in the meantime?"

"Not really, but he knows, too. He stayed with us in front of the OR when you got your emergency operation. And he was terribly nervous, I can tell!" Savannah smiled.

"Tell him, I´m okay. He´ll be glad to hear from me."

"I will. See you again, sleep well, princess!"

Savannah touched her arm, squeezing it tight and encouraging. Marti still stared at the door although her friend had already left. She still worried about Julian and his unborn child. Thought about Morgan and what he maybe had to go through because of her accident. So much problems, so less solutions. Again she fell asleep, crying silent tears.

o o o o o o o o o o

Julian swore. "Dammit! I know she´s at home. Her car´s parked in the garage. Why the heck doesn´t she open the door?"

Morgan lifted his eyebrow again. "Weird."

"She´s been suspended already, the dean sent an e-mail about hours ago. I was already wondering why she didn´t try to call me again or anything else after having been told to leave the campus. I couldn´t talk to her this morning and just refused the call." Again, Julian hammered on the front door, trying not to panic. "Heather! Open the door now! We have to talk!"

"Do you think she could try to... You know what I mean?" Morgan murmured gently.

"To commit suicide? That could be an option, too. We have to get in here, right now!" He hammered against the door again, shouting her name. "Heather! HEATHER! Open the door! I know you´re at home! Heather! For heaven´s sake!"

Still no reaction. Morgan went along the front side of the house and took a look around the corner on the rest of the garden. "Julian!" he shouted in excitement. "I can see an open terrace door! Maybe we should take a look?"

The professor was glad to hear about a new possibility to get into the house and so they decided to enter the backside of the property to assure that Heather was at least okay. When they stood in front of the open door, Julian called her name again but still didn´t get an answer.

"Are you there, Heather?" he tried once more, not hoping to get some response at all.

"Let´s go inside. Even Rufus isn´t barking or running towards us. That´s really weird," Morgan said quietly with a certain fear in his voice.

Eyes wide open Julian nodded, having pudding in his knees. "Come on!"

They got into the living-room but it was empty. No Heather, no doggie. No music or anything else. Stillness everywhere. Together they called her again, walking hectically through the house, looking in every single room on the ground floor but nobody seemed to be there. So they decided to go upstairs to look into several bedrooms and baths Heather showed Julian a few weeks before. On the last step they suddenly heard a sound that made them shiver all over. Rufus was whimpering, which was obviously coming out of one of the bathrooms at the end of the gallery. In a real hurry both men ran towards the frightening sound and found the big dog lying in front of the marmoreal tub in the middle of the luxury main bathroom.

"Oh my God! Heather!" Julian knelt beside the so called lamb and felt Heather´s pulse, lying motionless in the tub. "She´s alive! We have to call 911!" Rufus went on whimpering and Julian tried to get his former wife out of the tub. She was naked, pale all over and unconscious. "She´s subcooled and her pulse is really slow, hurry!"

Morgan was already calling the ambulance on his cell phone, walking nervously around in the bathroom. "Okay, they´ll be here in about five minutes! We have to get her awake and warm with towels rubbing over her body, they said."

Julian slapped her into the face a few times, still calling excitedly her name again and again. She opened her eyes for a moment, but then fainted once more. While Morgan was looking around for finding some pills or any drugs she might have taken, the professor warmed her hands, rubbed her arms and cheeks, nonstop talking to her just to calm himself down. Rufus didn´t anything else but whimpering like hell. Julian could have sworn he had tears in his eyes...

"Come on, Heather! You´re unborn child, you´ll lose the baby! Wake up! It´ll all be good, I promise!"

Morgan went downstairs to let the paramedics in. They did all to save her life and Morgan presented a finally found empty pill box which gave them the needed information. She probably took a bunch of sleeping pills to take her own life.

"Will she be okay?" Julian asked worrying.

"We don´t know. But we´ll do everything we can."

"She´s pregnant. Maybe. I don´t know exactly."

"Okay. Do you want to come with us in the ambulance?"

"No, we´re going to follow you with my own car." Julian looked at Morgan, hoping that he was willing to come with him. They both were kind of witnesses to what has happened.

After Heather had been taken into the ambulance, the two men made sure Rufus was okay at home for a while and left the house immediately.

Morgan sat down in Julian´s car and shook his head. "I don´t get it. I just don´t get it!"

"She had been fired. Sort of. Maybe Marti had won in her eyes by showing her balls in front of everybody. And I refused her call this morning. Two times."

"What about the baby? She actually got you in the end!"

"Got me? Who told you that?"

"Erm... Not right?"

"No, not right. I... I wanted to make her believe that she has won in some way. But only to make sure that Marti stays safe in the future. It had to seem real for Heather, you know? That´s why I abandoned Marti that cruel way without giving any reason."

"It didn´t work either," Morgan murmured.

"I don´t know what happened. Let´s wait for her explanation when she´s awake again."

Morgan sighed. "Why did you...? I mean... The baby? How could you do that to Marti?"

"Whoever is the father, I´m not the one who´s responsible for this child. Believe me, I would know about it!"

"You mean... She lied to Marti on purpose?"

"Obviously. I´d really like to know how she faked that ultrasound pic. Scheming is her favorite hobby these days. We´re there finally." Julian parked the car and they followed the paramedics into the hospital.

Morgan still thought about what the professor had told him before. They sat down in the waiting area and he made another try to understand the whole story. "Okay, it´s not your baby. So, you didn´t cheat on Marti, right?"

"Right."

"Wanna know what she told me?"

"Sure!"

"She thought about you getting blackmailed by Heather so much you maybe could have slept with her again. To be honest, it really made sense to me."

Julian looked astonishingly at his former student. "She _did_ blackmail me, of course. But I´m not such an asshole to support any type of crime. What kind of lawyer would I represent? When Heather put that plush cat and the ultrasound picture in Marti´s locker, whereof I didn´t know at all, I´ve just abandoned Marti because of two things which had happened before: Several plush cats with knives in their chests all over Ally´s grave a while ago, whereof she didn´t know, _and_ the fact that Heather was about to force her to do the fourth row."

"So, it had been a misunderstanding?"

"Seems so. Just that simple!"

"Maybe you should tell her about it?" Morgan remarked gently.

The professor suddenly realized him being already in hospital, not that far away from his former girlfriend, who still stayed in one of the sick rooms on another floor. The attempt to commit suicide would force Heather to get hospitalized again, so she wouldn´t be able to scare them anymore. His heart started beating like a drum by thinking of getting Marti back soon. In case she still wanted him after his bad behavior on the phone, so to speak.

He cleared his throat. "Erm... You´re right. Maybe I should take a chance on love, huh?"

"Just what I thought."

"I´m going to talk to her after Heather´s parents will be here to watch over their daughter."

"Finally."

"Thank you."

"Thank me? For what?" Morgan was wondering.

Julian smiled. "For being our friend. Whatever you´re dreaming of in the future, I´m going to lend you a hand, okay?"

"Deal."

They sat a while without talking. After twenty minutes, Mr. and Mrs. Rathbone came along to look after their adult child. Her mother cried bitterly and Julian embraced her with a certain sympathy. At this moment the doctors came out of the ER, telling them Heather would be okay soon despite the heavy drug abuse.

"How´s the baby?" Julian asked, worrying a lot.

"The baby?" one of the doctors wondered.

"Yes, she... must have been pregnant, I told the paramedics before," Julian sounded a bit insecure.

"No pregnancy at all. Not in the last few years. I´m sorry."

Julian´s heart sank down to his knees. A simple lie and an ultrasound picture of a stranger had gotten them that far. "Okay... Thank you, doctor...?"

"Dr. Greene. You´re welcome. You can see her now."

Heather´s parents said goodbye to Julian and Morgan, getting into the ER to say hello to their daughter.

"Now, go!" Morgan demanded of Julian, smiling amusedly.

With a wide grin on his face the professor nodded happily and ran away like some ghosts were haunting him...

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 12/10/2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Thanks for reading!

There´s only one chapter left.


	24. Hope springs eternal

Welcome to my this weekend´s chapter!

I decided to do one more for keeping the chap(s) a little shorter.

Thx to the latest reviewers, it´s always nice to get some feedback ^^

Please feel free to complain or correct some mistakes ;-)

Enough of babbling...

Let´s get started!

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 23 ~**

_Hope springs eternal_

In front of Marti´s sick room Julian stumbled from running hectically, then got back on his feet again, staring nervously at the still closed door. He couldn´t even move a finger. His heart pounded, in his ears he heard the sea rushing. Maybe she wouldn´t want to listen to his apology? What if she had visitors right now? A look down at his clothing to see how he looked like made him realize that he hadn´t got a present or anything else to give to her like everyone else probably would have done. Flowers? No. Not that simple. What his beloved ex-girlfriend loved the most had always been her guitar, he remembered. So he left the hospital and called Savannah with his cell phone to get that very special gift for him. It took her only about fifteen minutes to bring it to him in front of the clinic.

She was pleased to help and wished him good luck for his try to win back a certain stubborn Hellcats´ member. "Don´t mess it up!" she added, smiling.

He took the guitar out of her hands, shaking all over. "I really hope so."

When Julian came back inside the hospital with the present in his hands, he added a single red rose from the flower store in the lobby, which he clipped lovingly between the strings. Smiling contentedly, he finally stood again in front of her sick room but the nervousness hadn´t gone at all. The moment he could bring himself to knock, someone tipped on his shoulder from behind. He winced, turning around all of a sudden.

"Wanda!" he burst out kind of relieved, sighing heavily. "You scared me to death!"

"Bad conscious, huh?"

"Sort of... May I see her? I mean, will she be pleased?"

"I think so," Wanda smiled all over. "I don´t know what exactly had been going on between the two of you, but what I´m sure of is that she truly loves you. And she´d been very hurt about you abandoning her that cruel way. On the phone! Boy, that was an absolutely no-go!"

"There´s no excuse, I´m aware of that, believe me. I just wanted her to be safe."

"You wanted her to be safe? Was it all about Heather?"

Julian cleared his throat. "Exactly. Trying to protect her didn´t work either."

Wanda stroked over his arm, smiling friendly. "It´s the thought that counts."

"Thank you, Wanda. For everything in the past and hopefully a lot more in the future. You know, I... I did it for love..."

"Lucky her. Now, go! I´m waiting here outside." Wanda kissed him motherly on the cheek. "Just promise to make her smile again, okay?"

Julian nodded and finally knocked at the door, waiting for Marti to ask him in. God, he was so freaking nervous, he even felt his teeth chattering. When he heard her smooth voice from inside, it felt like the most wonderful sound ever in his life. Carefully he pushed the doorknob and entered the room with a pounding heart. Marti was in bed, looking curiously at the guest paying her a visit right now. Actually she had been waiting for her mother.

"Hey, Porsche...," the professor said quietly, kind of embarrassed. He didn´t dare to look directly into her eyes.

Marti blinked, thinking of having a hallucination. "Julian? Is this you?"

He walked towards the bed and recognized her still bad condition. She couldn´t even move her head without turning around the whole chest because of the thick dressing from the top of her head down to the shoulders. Not a single blond curl peeped out. Also her lower leg and the elbow on the same side were put in cast. She really looked quite amotile.

"It´s me, yes. Erm... How are you?" He stood in front of the bed, about three feet away, the guitar in his hands without knowing what to do next. Like a sheepish five year old. His heart badly hurt by watching her looking that desolate.

Marti still didn´t believe what she saw. Julian came to see her! "I´m okay. Thank you. Heard Heather had been suspended?" To be too happy too soon wouldn´t have been very smart she thought by herself.

"Yes, she had. Thank God." Somehow he was at a loss for words again. Ridiculous.

"You must be very happy, though."

"It´s not the way you think it is..."

"I know she´s expecting your baby, no reason to deny. Congrats." Marti´s voice sounded cold as ice even if she didn´t want it to. "Have a seat, please."

Julian put the guitar on the floor and searched for a chair to sit next to her. All he could find was a freaking wheel chair but he had to sit down right now for getting back his power somehow. "Listen! Are you listening?" He had to explain this whole misunderstanding to her.

"Are you sure you wanna be here right now?" she cawed.

Julian sighed heavily. "I am. Believe me, I am. So, here´s the precis: I abandoned you just because of Heather´s weird acting lately. She put plush cats on Ally´s grave a while ago, whereof I didn´t tell you to protect you, _and _she forced you to do the fourth row in cheer leading. That had been all I knew at that moment. I´ve been afraid of what she might plan to do in the future to kind of 'eliminate' you... "

The young Hellcat moaned quietly because of the still hurting neck. What he had just told her was totally different from what she had thought as it would have been. He had sounded vulnerable and his voice had been impending to break during the whole explanation. It was her turn to say something but she was left completely speechless.

"No comment at all?" he asked, sounding kind of disappointed. His knees were still shaking although he was sitting in this revealing wheel chair. It could have been Marti´s way of future life and he felt embarrassed even more.

Instead of answering, Marti just looked at him watered eyes, waiting for release. But he wasn´t able to give it to her. With the last bit of strength she dared to ask him a question again. "So, why did you bring the guitar?" she whispered kind of insecure.

Julian remembered his gift and picked up the instrument from the floor. "It´s yours. I thought you might like to play on it," he said and showed it to her with a hopeful glance.

"This is a hospital, Julian. I can´t make such noise in here, " Marti smiled amusedly. It seemed like the ice was about to break. He knew her way too well.

"I know, but you love it. And I didn´t want to bring just flowers or candy. I wanted you to have something you really adore." He put it on the bed and tipped on the red blossom between the strings. "Look, there´s also a single rose for you... In case you can´t play the guitar in here."

Even if it didn´t sound that romantic, however, it did for Marti. She still had to fight upcoming tears, thinking of this selfless nice touch. He had thought about her, like he always had done. Her fingers lovingly stroked over the strings, the polished wood and the rose, of course, feeling love and a deep spiritual connection between them.

"Thank you... This is really moving..." Looking up into his eyes, making him sure of what she actually wanted to tell him, she was hoping for a little help to get it finally fixed.

But he still sat on this fucking wheel chair next to her bed, not being able to move a single finger. Marti put her hand over his own on the edge of the bed, feeling his warmth and obvious insecurity. He came to apologize and she had to forgive him. Truth was, there was nothing to forgive, because he did it for only one reason called love.

"So, she put plush cats on Ally´s grave?" Marti started the conversation again. Why the heck was it that difficult to just talk to each other? She was longing for an intimate embrace instead.

"Several. With knives sticking in their chests," Julian nodded. "It scared the shit out of me, so I didn´t tell you."

"What about... your baby?"

"Heather isn´t pregnant. Never has been lately. I didn´t sleep with her again, just for the record. Why should I have tried to cheat on you?"

"Blackmailing?"

"Never ever in my entire life."

Marti couldn´t hide a little smile on her face. "So... What´s going to happen now?" she got serious once more.

"Depends." Julian´s heartbeat rose again.

"On what?"

"On you."

"Me?"

"You."

"How is that?", she asked, totally confused about this few words conversation going on between the two of them.

For the first time he looked right into her eyes again. "Heather is getting hospitalized right now. You´ll be safe from now on."

"Just that simple? She really agreed to start a therapy?"

"Not that simple. She tried to commit suicide earlier today."

"Oh... Because of what? I mean, she had won, you left me, albeit for a lie. Did I miss something?" However, truth can be hurtful, she thought by herself.

"I don´t know exactly, yet. Morgan and I found her in the marmoreal tub, being out cold. You should have seen Rufus whining in front of her," Julian smiled gently. He didn´t want to upset her, because suicide wasn´t a thing to make fun of.

However, Marti smirked. "I don´t have to understand why Morgan and you went to see her, right?"

"I wanted to talk to her because of the plush cat in your locker, the fourth row _and_ this dubious ultrasound picture."

"So, after all _Mr. Morgan Dirty Dog_ told you," she murmured disappointingly.

"So to speak. He loves you, you know? He just wanted the best for you, that´s all."

"Blah... He reneged on his promise."

"Marti?" Julian finally intertwined their fingers, hoping his heart wouldn´t burst the next few seconds.

She let it happen, feeling goosebumps all over her body whilst whispering a simple "Huh?"

He cleared his throat for a hundreds of times. "Do you still love me?" Looking at her with sparkling eyes, he waited for the right answer to come up. Including a pulse over two hundred.

Marti swallowed in embarrassment. "Always have, always will," she murmured, diving into his green eyes like she had done so many times before.

A second later he´s already been lying beside her on the bed, breathing and shivering in excitement. "I´m going to kiss you right now, Porsche... There´s still time to prevent it..." His face was coming nearer and nearer but she didn´t move at all. "I´m on my way..."

"I hope so," she whispered, finally sealing his lips with her own.

Both of them felt this wonderful happiness taking over their whole body and brain when touching each other this intimate way again. Julian´s heart was about to burst every second and he stopped their kiss right after the first little contact to look into her eyes without any fear at all.

"Have you heard that?" he asked, now whispering himself with a big smile on his face.

"Heard what?" she answered quietly, longing for another kiss.

"The sound of the stone, which has just fallen from my heart?"

"Think the sea rushing in my ears didn´t allow me to hear it...," Marti countered, smiling, too.

He kissed her again. Caring, softly and, of course, passionately as much as her head bandage and the casts allowed him to. Feeling their tongues touching one another was definitely not to exceed. His arms embraced her, holding her tight and showing the urgent need of an intimate encounter back at home.

"When will you be able to check out?" he whispered hoarsely.

Marti kissed him lovingly on the corner of the mouth. "In about two or three weeks or so?"

He groaned, frustrated. "That´ll be torture..."

"You deserve to be tortured, I guess," she giggled amusedly.

"Crap! But... I´m going to take my punishment like a real hero. Do I get a free wish at least?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On your wish."

He sighed. "Okay... It´s my wish to hear you saying it."

"Saying what?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Marti made a thoughtful face by looking up to the ceiling. "Erm..." She turned her glance back on him. "I missed you."

"Not that bad, Porsche. But I meant another one." His thumb stroked gently over her cheek. "By the way, I missed you, too."

"Love you."

"That´s it. So do I."

o o o o o o o o o

The squad didn´t win the competition this weekend. However, Vanessa had been really proud of all of them. They returned quite satisfied and more relaxed than ever before. For the first time, the university had to admit that it wasn´t important to win but to compete. There was still much practice to do to get better, even without some dangerous lifts. The usual flying was complicated enough.

In the meantime, a lot of action had been going on. Red hadn´t been fired for his blackmailing on Bill Marsh, the former athletic director, because Emily, his ex-wife, couldn´t find anything incriminating due to the fact that the dean and Julian had helped to protect the football coach and their actions as well as possible. Marti´s dad Rex Perkins was about to get rehabilitated with Julian´s professional help in the near future. Travis Guthrie and Wanda finally got together. After he had been that thoughtful and caring at the hospital, she hadn´t been able to resist any longer and Rex just had to accept that. Marti´s dad wasn´t amused about their relationship but he tried to get along with it as well.

On the other side Heather checked in to the clinic for a long time after having been released from hospital. She had cried a lot the moment she woke up, being aware to have survived after all. Her parents took care of her and Julian decided to take home the calf in the meantime because Marti really wanted him to. Rufus was her best friend from the moment he entered Julian´s house and walked through the garden showing his doggie pride. The professor thought of him being a good security guard every time he had to travel around the country while Marti would have to stay alone in the big house. Since she had been haunted of his ex-wife, Julian had been very busy to make her feel safe again and to protect her from everything that could scare her once more.

Together with the former Hellcat, the law professor payed Heather´s parents a visit about five weeks after the prevented suicide. They were about to thank him for saving their daughter and to apologize to Marti who had to suffer from her craziness. The pre-law student had gotten rid of the casts and the head bandage just a few hours before the visit. When they sat down together at the Rathbone´s home to drink some coffee, Marti took Julian´s hand clearly visible to make sure of their serious relationship. She wanted them to realize the status quo for never thinking of Julian and Heather being together again some day.

"So, what exactly did Heather tell you why she had tried to commit suicide?" Julian asked curiously. He just wanted to know what had been going on in her mind.

Heather´s mum sighed heavily before answering the question. "The doctors told us she felt terribly lonely and obviously broken. She must have told them that it had been very embarrassing to watch you, Miss Perkins, do the fourth row with your head held high without showing any tears or sadness about the – of course non existing – baby and the plush cat in your locker at all. And then later on, after your serious accident, she came to her senses and felt terribly guilty. To wish something bad is way easier than to live with the consequences in case your wish actually came true. Thinking of that and your near death, Marti, and, of course, your ignorance, Julian, made her realize her own loss again. She mourned for Ally and you once more, feeling totally lost and lonesome without her little girl and her former husband. That´s what the doctors told us. It must have been an act of terrible despair."

"Sounds plausibly," Julian nodded. "She kind of woke up from a beautiful dream, right?"

"Exactly. Her first words after opening her eyes again and realizing her still being alive had been _How´s Marti, the flyer?_"

The young Hellcat could hardly believe what she heard. Heather worrying about her was way to weird to think of. "What did you answer?" she whispered curiously in order to hear more about Heather´s unexpected reaction.

"I said luckily you´re fine. That you´ll be okay soon. She just smiled and sighed relievedly before falling asleep again."

"So, she really was glad I haven´t died, right?"

"Of course, she was. Later on she whispered she´d be terribly sorry for what she had done to you. And that Ally certainly wouldn´t have wanted her to do all those horrible things to anyone. I guess she´d been aware of what she had done to you and to herself for the first time since Ally´s death a few years ago. The next moment she wanted to see the doctor and agreed to get hospitalized again."

Julian felt really happy for her. Better she´d do this on her own, he thought by himself. "Sounds good. She must have the will to get well again. And I really believe in her. Ultimately she´s not that bad, you know? But holy crap, she knew how to scare us! By the way, Marti and I decided to look after Rufus or at least adopt him and I think that´s a pretty good idea. Will she be okay with that?"

"We think so, of course. The dog is way to big for us to handle," Heather´s dad remarked with a wide grin on his face. "Besides, we´re really afraid of him."

"He´s a real cutie, Mr. Rathbone," Marti said convincing. "We´ll have no problems to take him in, right, Julian?" Marti hopefully looked at the professor to get a positive answer. She truly fell in love with the doggie the moment she saw it for the first time. "Right?"

"Of course," he remarked. "He conquered my garden at once. And God knows what big piles he´s going to leave in there!"

They all had to laugh about his future vision and sat together for a while just talking and drinking some coffee like if they had known each other for a long time. Marti had to admit that Heather´s parents were just adorable and Julian was right to be still connected to them. Besides of them having been the grandparents of his daughter Ally. When they finally left, Marti felt really happy for the first time in months. Their problems all seemed to be solved.

Julian smiled the whole way back home and she didn´t want to ask for a reason. It was enough to know he felt happy, too. Rufus was kind of excited when they entered the house and Marti immediately began to cuddle with him on the floor. Julian had thought about some romantic evening before and went to the kitchen first. It was time to cook a fantastic meal to get in the mood for more. Since Marti had left the hospital they hadn´t made love to one another due to her still fragile condition. Now that she was free again of any dressing or cast, he really was longing for some intimacy and he had thought about asking her to marry him a few weeks ago, too. She was the one, definitely. A few days ago he had had the ultimate idea to propose to her, so he had made a reservation at _The Rat_ fortonight to celebrate Marti´s recovery with all their friends and family after having dinner at home. Hoping for some further action deep in the night...

Standing in front of the counter top now, he dreamed of her answer to the ultimate question. To put the ring into her meal would have been too obvious, so he decided to do it another more special way. It would be quite surprising for Marti and he was hardly able to hide his early amusement.

"Are you hungry?" he asked the moment Marti entered the kitchen together with Rufus.

"Rufus, sit down!" she demanded of the dog and he obeyed. "A bit, yes. Are you still thinking about Heather?"

"No, I´m not. Why do you think so?" he wondered curiously.

"You´re cooking."

"For you, yeah. Bad idea?" Julian winked, smirking.

Marti smiled back. "Not at all. I was just assuming..."

"You´re wrong. Set the table, please. And take the good plates, the crystal and the linen napkins."

"Gosh! What are we going to celebrate?" Marti asked laughing. "Heather´s lost battle?"

Julian raised an eyebrow in disgust. "Your recovery, Porsche. Doesn´t that make sense enough?"

Marti embraced him from behind. "You´re too sweet, professor." Then she went setting the table without looking back at him. To be honest, she had almost tears in her eyes because of his answer.

"Later on we´re going to go out, so don´t drink too much wine, Porsche...," he remarked, still smiling. "I thought of a quiet evening at the pub. Are you okay with that?"

Marti was wondering why he insisted on an evening outside but she was truly interested in meeting some friends again. It´s been a long time since she had had fun going out. "Sure. I missed listening to live music – do you know who´s going to play tonight?"

"No one as far as I know. If you want to bring your guitar, I´m absolutely okay with that."

"Maybe I should...?"

"Then do it! Would be great to listen to you again! By the way, I´m ready with the meal. Everything fine over there? Dinner´s going to be served!"

Marti nodded, twitching the place mats to perfection. "Ready to be served."

They sat down across the table and began with a toast to her better condition. Marti still had to be careful in drinking alcohol because of the drugs she still had to take every day, so she just sipped at the wine after clinking glasses.

"Looks good, chef. Hope it tastes good, too."

"It does. So, when are you genius going to join the university again?"

Marti smiled, taking the first bite of the steak. "Delicious! The genius thought about starting on Monday."

"Sounds good. I´m glad you kept your scholarship. But I would have paid for you anyway," Julian remarked, avoiding to blush right after this revealing comment.

"You would have paid for my education? I wouldn´t have let you. No way!" Her eyes watched him in disgust.

Julian changed topic immediately for not making her angry. They talked about Heather again, while trying not to give Rufus some treats off the table. He was such a cutie, sitting in front of them and waiting on something to fall down on the floor.

"Don´t you think his eyes should be forbidden?" Marti asked, surrendering once more.

Julian laughed hearty. "How could we have ever been afraid of him?" He gave Rufus a little piece of his steak again. "Okay, I have to take back my former comment. If we go on like this, this dog will eat me out of house and home. There will be no money left for any enrollment fee or whatever else."

"Absolutely!" Marti giggled, holding her neck which still hurt sometimes when moving too fast. "Let´s heading for the pub, huh? Just to escape from this melting doggie gaze!"

**Tbc...**

©Mrs. NiG, 12/17/2011

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Thanks for reading!

Next week the final chap!

Hope to see you soon,

Mrs. NiG


	25. Expecting the unexpected

Wishing a HAPPY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to everybody!

Now, here´s the last chapter as a present under your x-mas tree! Finally ^^

It has been a wonderful journey and a really interesting experience.

Hope you enjoyed it as well ;-)

Many thanks to the latest reviewers and readers, I feel honored to be recognized in this jungle of writers and critics. Would be nice to get some feedback in the end, if you can bring yourself to do such thing * lol *

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

**~ 24 ~**

_Expecting the unexpected_

When they arrived at _The Rat_, all their friends had already been there. Marti was kind of shocked the moment she saw all those people waiting for Julian and, of course, herself. The whole squad, Alice and Lewis, Dan and Savannah, Vanessa and Red, Travis and her mum together with Rex, Morgan, her sister Deidra and many more. Everyone has to be hugged, which was quite time-consuming but on the other side totally satisfying. The crowd dragged her to sit down, got her something to drink and wanted to toast to her full recovery. Everyone was happy to see her healthy again.

Marti was just wondering where Julian had gone in the meantime when she suddenly heard his voice through the microphone on the stage. Everyone looked at the hot looking law professor, standing kind of lost behind the microphone together with... Obviously the young blonde had difficulties to repress some childish squeaking when seeing Rex and Travis with their guitars behind her beloved boyfriend. Finally Julian cleared his throat and knocked on the microphone to test it. It worked well.

"Hi there! Erm... My name´s Julian. And there behind me you can see my friends Travis and Rex with their guitars. They´re going to play an old song especially for you, Marti Perkins," he winked in her direction. "Well, I´m not the best public speaker but I thought of some present for your recovery and I finally came to the one and only decision: I always wanted you to know what you mean to me and today seems to be the perfect moment to at last tell you. You know, when you got injured because of our personal relationship, I nearly lost my mind in desperate fear. We had our problems and we always tried to manage our life like the serious adults we both are, always have been. Now, it´s time to get serious again, Marti. That´s why I want you to answer on the following heartfelt request." Julian cleared his throat again. Everyone was watching him with watered eyes. Marti herself could hardly breathe, seeing him there on the stage, doing what she´d never expected him to do officially. Then he went on with his mission, shaking voice and legs inclusive. "I... I love you, Porsche. Truly, madly, deeply. So please, would you do me the honor and marry me?"

The whole pub kept looking kind of breathless at the young woman, waiting for her to answer in front of everybody. Marti herself had tears in her eyes. First of all she absolutely didn´t know what to say to that. Second she had to answer a question she´d never had really thought about before. This felt really weird and wonderful at the same time.

Julian was just grabbing for the ring inside his jacket, waiting for her to join him on stage. Seconds felt like minutes. He suddenly felt terribly nervous and absolutely silly in some way. Why did it take so long for her to answer?

Marti finally stood up and stroked over the front of her skinny black dress, walking slowly towards the stage, she had been escorted of a lot of applause for herself, even if their friends didn´t know what she was going to answer. Rex and Travis began to play and sing the song Rex had once written himself and which Marti had performed here on stage, too, a while ago. It sounded terrific, also because of the perfect fitting lyrics to the current situation.

"_Take my hand I´ll show you how to get up to the slide_

_I´ll be watching, I´ll be waiting on the other side_

_There´ll be time for everything, let´s sit a spell just now_

_Take my hand, take my hand - I ´ll show you how"_

Julian smiled at his girlfriend when she finally came onto the stage, showing his little brilliant gift to her. It had cost a fortune but she was definitely worth every single penny.

"_Everything I´ve ever done has brought me back to here_

_everything I have I´d give to see the future clear_

_I know this time I´ll face my fear I´ll stay right here right now_

_take my hand, take my hand - show me how"_

Marti took a look at the diamond ring, then back in his face, still not able to believe that this was really going to happen. Her heart was beating like a drum and she had difficulties to keep herself upright because of a pair of deadly shaking knees.

"_Twenty times there my heart broke, might have broken a couple out I guess_

_but when you showed up I swear my heart popped right through my chest_

A sudden stillness fulfilled the pub. Everyone was nervously waiting for her to begin to speak. One could have heard a pin drop. Julian just drowned into her eyes while hoping for her not to turn him down. He bit his lips, swallowed his spit , trying to control his heartbeat and breath for not freaking out at once.

"Erm...," Marti began speaking quietly beneath the microphone, looking right into his eyes. Then she fell silent again. It all seemed so weird to her. Thinking of a marriage at her young age was not what she´d planned for her current life. But she had to answer the proposal now.

_Here´s how you tie a shoelace, here´s how you climb a tree_

_here´s how you need to do things way better than me_

_I´ll be here by your side as God and time allow_

_take my hand, take my hand - I´ll show you how" […]*)_

Julian couldn´t wait any longer. "Okay, I´m asking you again. Will you marry me, Porsche?" His voice was trembling and so did he.

Marti sighed surrendering. Then she smiled towards the guests and back to him. "You got me. You really got me with that unexpected performance, boy! But... Erm... Since I´m truly, madly, deeply in love with you, too, there´s only one possible answer for me to give, I guess. Right?" She currently forgot all the people around them, looking deep into his sparkling eyes. "So here it is, professor: I really feel honored having been asked by you and... yes, I will. I. Will. Marry. You."

Frenetic applause appeared, stopping the oppressive silence at the end. Julian gently put the ring on her finger, smiling, feeling absolutely happy and more than just relieved. Marti immediately fell into his embrace, kissing him to death. They never showed their feelings in front of everybody of the university, so it felt kind of liberating for both of them. Julian held her close as if he didn´t want to lose her again. She relaxed more and more with every tender touch of their tongues. Instead of getting frightened because of her positive answer, she just felt it being totally the right thing to do.

When they ended their kiss about half an eternity later because of finally remembering the crowd around them, all of their friends and family wanted to congratulate and it seemed like they had already gotten married.

Wanda had tears in her eyes while talking to her baby girl. "I´m really happy for you. He´s great and absolutely wonderful. So, don´t you dare to mess it up, okay?"

"I won´t, Mum." Marti answered kind of embarrassed. "He´s the right one. And he´s a lawyer. If I´d dare to mess it up, he definitely would be able to ruin me," she laughed amusedly.

"Good point!" Wanda kissed her on the cheek and went away to Rex for talking to him about their wonderful daughter and his own lovely performance on the stage. Travis and he have already been waiting for her.

Julian just came back to Marti from a talk to Vanessa and Red, when suddenly Dan showed up to congratulate. Marti kissed the law professor goodbye to talk privately to her best friend. They had to clarify some issues of the past. Julian looked kind of jealous at their backs slowly disappearing in the crowd.

"So, you´re really going to become his wife, huh?" Dan finally asked, smiling kind of insecure.

"I am, yes. It feels right. Dan, are you sure, we are past... our past?", she wanted to know quietly.

"Are _you_?"

"Guess I am. How about you?"

"Guess I am, too. Savannah made me realize my feelings for you weren´t of romantic nature at all. It´s different with her and I´m seriously in love for the first time."

"Like I always said, huh? We should stay best friends, it works much better than being a couple."

"Absolutely. So, who will be your bridesmaids?" Dan asked, smirking.

"Wanna run for it?" Marti answered laughing out loud.

"Not at all, honey. I thought of Savannah. She´s so into marriage, she would feel honored."

"You must really love her. Letting her participate as one of my bridesmaids will force her to hope for a marriage of her own, you´re aware of that?" Marti answered grinning.

"I am. That´s the reason I asked for it. It´ll be the perfect situation to propose to her myself."

"You´re kidding!"

"Nope," he smiled all over. "Since her dad had gone to prison, I felt kind of responsible for her and you know what? It feels wonderful."

Marti embraced him, whispering in his ear. "That´s why I´ve always loved you. Keep up the good work, dude!"

It was an amazing evening for all of them. Marti and Julian sat together, fondling each other, they danced together, yes, they even sang together on stage and felt happy like never before. However they made an early evening to finally be private again. There was a certain need of warmth and passion to be satisfied immediately.

o o o o o o o o o o

When Julian opened the door, Rufus just ran into them, flooring the two of them nearly to death. It took some time to get him relaxed again but finally he went to his basket and tried to sleep.

"Our kid seems kind of effusive, huh?" Julian remarked dryly.

"We´ve been away too long. Look at him, he´s so cute! How could we´ve ever been afraid of him?"

"I _am_ still. Sort of. Let´s call it a certain respect."

Marti put her arms around his neck, smiling at him with real amusement. "I like you being kind of vulnerable. Usually you tend to look after me but if it comes to Rufus, it´s my turn to look after you. That´s so cute!"

He kissed her tenderly. "So, Mrs. Parish soon-to-be, what would you like to do now?"

"I thought you´d never ask!" she answered hoarsely, already unbuttoning his shirt. "Here comes the celebration I like best..."

"Boy, how I missed that." Julian began to undress her, unzipping her skinny black dress on the back. His hands got under the fabric, stroking gently back up again to the bra fastener and on to her shoulders to pull off the dress. "I can feel the scar on your neck – are you sure you´re okay with this?" His fingers carefully examined the lately done vertical sutural on her skin.

"Of course, I am," Marti whispered, tearing off his shirt with anticipation. First she impatiently bit in his shoulder, then kissed the mark to make sure he´s alright. "I´m hardly able to believe you´re mine..." Another kiss on his naked skin.

"Let´s go upstairs, I feel kind of observed by this dog..." Julian´s glance went to Rufus on his blanket but the dog still had closed his eyes. "Do you think he´ll get excited by listening to us making love?"

The young woman giggled on his funny question. "I bet he´ll try to save me," she said amusedly.

Julian sighed passionately while letting her step out of the dress, watching her in underwear with eyes and mouth wide open. "If I were him I would at least try to..." He bit his lip in worship. "You look fucking beautiful..."

Marti´s hands were about to unzip his trousers when answering on that comment. "I´m glad we didn´t get a bitch instead of Rufus, you know? I´d be totally jealous..."

Julian took her hand off his belt, before she was able to open it, and forced her to finally follow him upstairs, falling into an intimate embrace right after having reached the bedroom. They would have to do it carefully, he thought caring. She still seemed kind of weak because of the operation on her neck. It has been a long time since they made love together and he was desperately longing for her touch. But he also was afraid of maybe hurting her when it comes to making love and to completely losing control over his actions.

"I´m going to be careful...," he whispered tenderly in her ear. "At least I´ll try to..."

Marti pushed him towards the bed without answering, turning off the belt and unzipping the trousers. Her hand directly sneaked under his pants, finding his full erection. Julian´s and her eyes met the moment she touched him, watching him enjoy her slowly moves. There was a certain shimmer in his eyes, showing sexual arousal in its finest.

"Want more?" she asked hoarsely.

Julian immediately stepped out of his trousers, moaning, and pushed her towards his body, rubbing his erection against her hand and lap, panting. Again she bit him excitedly in his shoulder while he was opening her bra with trembling fingers. His arms around her, feeling her as close as possible, he sighed joyfully in her wounded neck. Next she felt was his hand underneath the panty on her butt, squeezing her tight and pushing her towards his crotch. Wet lips kissed his shoulder, then she looked up, searching for his mouth to conquer. Sealing his lips to squelch his desperate moaning, Marti began to discover him with her tongue. Upcoming heat was overwhelming them, hardly controllable moves made both of them shiver passionately. Julian searched for her sanctum under the panty, let his fingers do their work, feeling she was awfully ready to take him in.

"Get out of this...," he demanded desperately, letting her out of his embrace. "God, you´re fucking perfect..."

She pulled off her underwear, watching him doing the same. "So are you..." Her voice was shaking.

He lifted her in his embrace, laying her down on the mattress to crawl over her, then covering her soft skin with his heated body. His arms held her as close as possible, not even the slightest paper would have been able to place between them, he thought by himself. Marti just leaned into his kiss, enjoying their emotional nearness after a long time of abstinence. Feeling his erection pressed against her sanctum, she nearly was about to beg for finally taking him in. Her legs around his waist, she also pushed him harder by squeezing his butt.

Julian licked over her neck, down to the collarbone and further to her already erected nipples. When he sucked one of them in, she moaned, bending towards him. Breathing heavily, she couldn´t stand it any longer and at last she began to beg in a whisper.

"I want you so badly... Please... Just do it! Give it to me..."

Julian enjoyed her being that impatient, but also worried about her still weak condition. He just kissed her passionately once more for not letting her talk to him again. He wanted to set the pace himself. Losing her once had been nearly too much to bear, he didn´t want to experience that twice.

"Don´t you dare to tell me what to do, huh?" he said quietly. "I´m doing it my way, okay?"

"Not okay. I´m suffering right now. So, please release me, I´m begging you!"

He used his hand again to touch her where she most desired it. Watching her moan and tremble under the touch by his fingers totally aroused himself, too. The moment he decided to slip into her, an important question popped up to his mind.

"We better use a condom... You had some drugs lately and didn´t take the birth control pill regularly, right?" he whispered to her. She just nodded, breathing heavily in arousal. So he quickly took a condom out of the nightstand and put it on his fully erected, excited whipping penis.

Then it all went very fast. He just positioned himself and finally entered her, looking deep into her eyes to watch every kind of Marti´s facial expression when merging with her in love. Both of them had to hold their breath for a moment, just to get used to the overwhelming feelings coming up immediately. They were about to come at once and tried hard to avoid an early end. Forehead to forehead with closed eyes, they just waited long enough to get over the critical point of no return. Soft kisses made them calm down a bit, too, then Julian dared to start moving inside her again. _Very_ _slowly_. He totally filled her up and she relaxed more and more.

Marti felt so damned happy, she even lost some silent tears. "Truly, madly, deeply," she whispered in between their passionate kisses. He loved to fondle her with his tongue, especially on the neck or the ear laps.

"Love you, too, Mrs. Parish soon-to-be..." Julian answered smiling. "You´re okay?" Her tears let him doubt about his method to do it carefully and his smile disappeared for a second.

"I´m really happy, don´t worry. Just move!" she demanded breathlessly.

He kissed away the teardrop on the cheek and went on penetrating her in a smooth rhythm. Quickening his moves from time to time, they both felt their orgasms coming soon. His hands on her cheeks, his lips almost touching her mouth, their eyes looking into each other, they finally reached highest agitation. With a stifled cry they both experienced their orgasm nearly at the same time. Julian enjoyed the wincing around his penis the moment she finally came, which immediately brought him over the edge himself.

"Oh. My. God. This was incre- " Julian couldn´t end his sentence due to the fact Rufus came running in, directly jumping onto the bed, licking over their faces and howling like hell. "Holy _Christ_!" he commented on this sudden attack, trying to push the calf away from him.

Marti laughed amusedly, stroking the dog´s face to calm him down a bit. They still stuck to each other and Rufus began to whimper, shivering all over, his nose nearly buried between their heated bodies. "Good doggie! We´re okay, Rufus. Get off the bed and lie down!" she tried to get him away from the two of them.

The dog actually lay down on the edge of the mattress, still staring at both of them in real excitement. His nose obviously was moving, smelling the ultimate scent of sex.

"We were fucking quiet this time, huh? What will he be about to do when we get back to former, even much louder activities?" Julian asked angrily, slipping out of his girlfriend with desperation. "I really feel kind of ashamed in front of that calf! Look how he watches my dick go down slowly... Man! Just a second, I better go putting the condom into the trash bin." He stood up, walking away to the bathroom, shaking his head in disbelief while Marti just took the blanket to cover her nudity.

"Rufus, you´re behaving like a voyeur, you know that? Get out of our bedroom, please!" She wanted the dog to leave the embarrassing scenario. But unfortunately he didn´t want to obey this time. Too much words for a dog brain to filter. A short bark made Marti believe he wanted to have the final say. She simply couldn´t help laughing at him. "You´re really incredible!" she said, taking a short look into the bathroom, searching for Julian. "Professor? Are you drowning in the toilet? I need you here to bring that curious doggie out of the room!"

Julian came back, laughing amusedly, too. "He´s a male. You might look quite interesting for him, too, don´t you think so?" he was kidding, not feeling ashamed anymore to walk through the room without any clothes on. "But I know what you mean... His eyes are following you everywhere... Brrrrr!"

"Ha! You better be aware of his muzzle! He looks like his teeth might be able to terribly hurt your little exhausted willy," Marti giggled, covering her face with the blanket again.

While Julian was trying to return into the bed without being eaten alive or losing his tiny todger, Rufus barked again, then even growled terrifying. He obviously didn´t want him to get near Marti again. So, Julian still stood there in front of the bed, looking at the dog baring his teeth threateningly. Every time he started to simply move a finger, Rufus began to growl again.

"Marti? DO something for heaven´s sake!" he demanded angrily, now being really afraid of the big Irish wolfhound. "Me and my dick are not ready to end up as dog food!"

The young woman looked out of her coverage, watching the scene with real amusement. Julian had put his hands over his nudity to take care of his balls and penis while Rufus was staring at him like a jealous lover to appear at the wrong moment.

"Rufus? Get off and sit down on the floor!" He did this time. She was glad he obeyed. "Be a good doggie, huh? Julian belongs to me, you have to accept him. Now stay quiet, okay?" She waved Julian to come onto the bed and in fact, Rufus neither didn´t move anymore nor growled or even barked by baring teeth. He just sat down beneath the bed and watched every move the lawyer was about to make. Marti decided to try to get him out of their bedroom and slowly stood up to show him the way. She was standing in front of him, being only covered by the thin blanket, when talking to him quietly. "Come on, leave the room, Rufus darling! I´ll show you the way," she said, taking him by the dog collar and walking away with him towards the door. "Good doggie! Now stay outside, lie down and keep quiet, okay?" He obeyed again. Then she closed the door behind him, turning around to her fiancé. "See? Quite easy!"

"Blah...," Julian remarked dryly. "We obviously have to work on this problem!"

"You know what? He wouldn´t have let you in Heather´s bed either. She must have been quite naive..." A satisfied smile covered her face.

"Exactly what I thought a few minutes before." She slipped next to him under the blanket. "By the way, you look amazing, Mrs. Parish soon-to-be."

"I do?" she smiled, kissing him gently while snuggling up to him. "Erm... You better get yourself a personal trainer to keep being able to compete with me."

Julian was at a loss for words, looking stunned. "Are you serious?" He was still hoping for a joke.

"I guess, yeah. At your age you surely have to do something to look young enough, right?" Since he didn´t answer at once she looked up at him questioningly. "What?" Her eyes showed pure amusement, sparkling provocatively.

"I´ve never used any anti aging products or even a personal trainer and yet you´ve fallen in love with me – still have questions?" he countered smartly, baring his tongue out.

Marti probably had to give up the discussion. He obviously was a full time lawyer. But there still was one argument left... "Did I ever mention me falling in love with your intellect instead of your body or face, professor? Try harder!" she grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Checkmate!"

Julian gasped for breath. "God, we really deserve each other! When will you marry me? Give me a date! I have to be prepared for the words in front of the minister and your intelligent vows!"

Marti smiled all over. What a nice declaration of love. "How about a wedding in October? How does that sound?"

"Sounds fantastic. Do I have to get a surgery before?"

Marti smiled again. "Thought I´ve already done a brainwash to you?"

"Witch!"

"Finally you got it!" Marti giggled, rolling over his body and kissing him to death.

Julian suddenly stopped their kiss by putting a finger between their lips. "I have a condition."

"That is?" she whispered.

"Rufus needs to bring the rings like every kid would do." When the dog suddenly heard his name through the closed door, he immediately began to whimper again. "See? He´d really like to!" Julian grinned.

"Will you get them out of his muzzle in front of everybody?"

"... " Julian just gave it a thought. "Will you think of me as a real hero if I try to?"

"Absolutely."

He smiled, howling like a dog himself, then closing her mouth with his lips to devour her again...

©Mrs. NiG, 12/24/2011

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Thank you for finally arriving here ;-)

Hope you enjoyed the story and also the end.

Comments still will be answered.

Love you all,

~Mrs. NiG


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